Illuminate
by Bru21
Summary: "So listen closer, sweetheart. I've been trying to tell you..." When she needed him, he wasn't there for her. It's a cycle of miscommunciation and being in the dark, but it just takes someone or something flipping the switch to enlighten them. "You always have my attention, and speak up louder" SeiGou and Rin/Gou SiblingFluff
1. Ha Yeah It Got Pretty Bad

! First time posting for this fandom! I hope it's alright~?! (So nervous!) In light of some recent events that happened to me personally, and coinciding with marathoning and becoming _obsessed_ with this series, I typed up this story in it's entirety! Many characters are probably OOC and there's probably so muh wrong with this, but this is the first chapter and I'll probably jsut psot all the rest fairly shortly after this posting because I've got them all typed and the last thing I need is to drag out a multi-chapter-fic-posting...

This is SeiGou centric with a heavy side of Gou and Rin sibling interaction, with as much cameo and support form the other characters as I could fit~

Disclaimer: The title of this piece is after the band Lydia's album, 'Illuminate', and each chapter I've titled after the 12 tracks (bonus track included) of the album, though may not have that much to do lyric-and-title wise with each chapter~ Give them a lsiten, they're an old band but so beautiful!

[_brackets_] serve as text, in case you don't get that?

This story really picks up right off from where the season ended.

There's a long A/N after this, so warning about that too! I wouldn't go as far to warn about any trigger-inducing scene because my writing I don't think is that pwoerful enough but just in case..? There's a bit of assault violence but I'm _pretty_ _sure_ no cussing in this chapter..?

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

..Ha Yeah It Got Pretty Bad

* * *

_[Mom is leaving for the week. Would you want to hang out sometime?]_

She reads the message over and over, replacing words and rephrasing the question.

_[Want to grab some lunch?!]_

_[You haven't seen the house in a while! We changed some things!]_

_[How are you?]_

She gets angry—this message sounds too pathetic, too needy, too aloof—so she backspaces it entirely and just as her thumb hovers over the keyboard, she hesitates.

He won't care how she words it; what she types. He won't respond.

Gou selects the cancel option and tosses the phone aside.

She immediately grabs at the phone, though, opening her message outbox and again contemplating sending him a message. When she still can't think of the right thing to say, or convince herself that this time it'll be different and he'll reply, she drops her phone in her school bag.

Stupid older brother.

* * *

"Oi, Matsuoka!"

Rin flinches. He isn't paying much attention and hasn't even begun to change back into his regular clothes from their morning swim practice. Beside him, Nitori is already tying his shoes, dressed for school. He turns to see the approaching figure of Seijuro.

"Captain Mikoshiba…"

"You're doing good out there!" His captain clasps him on the back before glancing at Rin's hand.

"Hm? Who're you texting?"

"I'm not texting anyone!" Rin snaps, gripping his phone and hiding it from Mikoshiba.

"Rin's upset because Gou hasn't texted him in a week…"

"Gou?" The Captain's interests suddenly perk. Rin sees the blush form on his captain's cheeks just from thinking about his sister and he hates this conversation even more. His captain is a fine guy, but there's no way in hell Rin wants him anywhere near his sister.

"Oi, that isn't it, Ai!" Rin snaps at his roommate, who both cringes and chuckles at Rin's reaction.

"Does she normally text you a lot?" Mikoshiba asks, and Rin makes more of an effort to hide his phone screen in case the captain should see and memorize his sister's number.

"Every morning!" Nitori chirps.

"Nitori!" Rin warns.

"Maybe you upset her," Mikoshiba offers and Rin catches the hint of hostility in his captain's voice. What right does _he_ have to be angry at Rin? He didn't upset her…he's pretty sure.

"Tch. Whatever…it's better that she isn't texting me every damn day. Those texts got annoying…"

"You still would read them, wouldn't you though?" Nitori mumbles.

Luckily for Nitori, Rin doesn't catch this. He tosses his phone in his locker and heads towards the pool.

"Eh? Rin-! Practice just ended, why're you going back out to the pool?! You're supposed to change-"

"I want to swim!" Rin yells back, irritated with his stupid roommate and his stupid captain and his stupid sister who is ignoring him for some reason.

* * *

"Hm? Gou, what happened to your phone?"

"Eh? Nothing happened to it…why?" Gou asks, suddenly concerned that her phone is broken or lost; she frantically shuffles through her bag in search of it.

"Oh! No, I just meant I hadn't seen you with it in a while!"

Gou pouts, "Hana, I wasn't _always_ on my phone!" She hopes, self-conscious.

Chigusa giggles, quickly apologizing before sighing, "So, you really haven't texted your brother all week?"

Gou shrugs. It's not that big of a deal, she tells herself.

"Gou!"

"It's _Kou_," She warns, rather tiresomely, before she even turns around to face the all-too-familiar cheery voice of Nagisa. There's no swim practice after school today and she really just wants to go home and start on the chores her mother left her.

Hana gives some excuse about some afterschool activity, taking her leave just as Nagisa runs up to Gou.

"We're all headed to the Samezuka swimming pool today! Come with us!"

"Why would you swim there? It's still plenty warm enough to swim in our outdoor pool…"

"We're not going to swim," to which Nagisa pauses and adds, "Haru might…but we were going to go to cheer on Mikoshiba! Nationals are in two weeks!"

Gou smiles softly, "That's right."

"Come with us!"

"I wish I could, but I have chores…"

"Rin will be there!"

Her smile flinches and if Nagisa catches it, he doesn't mention it. She realizes Nagisa means to further convince her by offering that her brother will be there rather than deter her reasoning for going. Gou hides her inward wince, still feeling guilty over having not texted her brother in almost a week now. It's not that they're fighting or she's mad at him.

Maybe she should go with the swim club today, see Rin…check to see if he's alright.

"Okay…but just for a little bit! I really do have to be getting home soon-"

Nagisa doesn't hear a word after 'okay'.

"Great!"

* * *

"Rin…where are you?" Gou muttered to herself, scanning the pool for the familiar head of her brother's. She gripped the strap of her bag tightly in both hands, wringing it to give her hands something to do as she stood straight and centered within the gym. The others are caught up behind her, talking to someone or admiring some trophy case or other.

"Oi! Gou!"

Gou flinched, swallowing down her correction of "it's Kou" and turning to greet the enthusiastic approaching swimmer.

"Mikoshiba! Have you seen my brother?"

Mikoshiba's bright gold eyes seemed to dull with disappointment before he happily pointed towards the back corner of the gymnasium.

"Ah! Thank you, Mikoshiba!" Gou bowed, turning in the direction after her brother.

"Oi, Gou-! Before you go…"

Gou halted on her heels, spinning around so quickly that her bag swung with her, slamming against her hip and causing the Iwatobi penguin charm to snap off. Gou instantly dove for the charm, just at the moment that Mikoshiba also ducked for it, causing an awkward collision in which they both nearly collapsed before Mikoshiba set them right, gripping Gou's forearms to balance her.

"Ah, y-yes, Mikoshiba..?"

The sudden bridging of the distance between them finally hit Mikoshiba as he realized just how close he was to Gou—evident on the blush that spread on her cheeks as she, too, realized how close they were. He quickly broke apart, standing straight so he loomed over a good foot above the freshman. Gou herself straightened, clipping the charm back onto her bag before glancing back in the direction of her brother.

"There was something else..?" She muttered, nervously glancing between the captain and her brother as if the anticipation of keeping her from the latter caused her anxiety. Mikoshiba jolted aware, shaking his hands, "Ah, it's nothing! Another time, may-?"

"Alright then! It was nice to see you again, Captain!"

Mikoshiba's shoulders dropped as Gou sprinted off without another glance back, eager to approach her brother.

"Ah, s-sure…Gou."

* * *

Halfway across the pool, Gou slows down and stops, her feet coming together as she contemplates approaching her brother. His back is still turned—it's not too late. She could turn around, go home (like she's supposed to) and maybe text him finally that afternoon. There's just some sort of tension between the two of them when there doesn't have to be, but maybe now isn't-

"Gou! G-Hey! Look, there's Rin! C'mon~!" Nagisa suddenly cheers from beside her, tugging her along by the wrist and suddenly her decision is made for her.

Makoto is beside her and just behind him is Haru, though he's eyeing the pool as if he won't stand by the others for long. Rei is trying to catch up, having been left behind tying his shoe or other, and as the group makes their way to Rin, the red head finally turns to notice them.

Rin looks straight to Gou before any of the others.

"Gou? What are you doing here?"

"We're here to cheer on Mikoshiba!" Nagisa answers, ignoring that Rin asked Gou.

"Mikoshiba?" He asks, looking from Nagisa to Gou.

"Mm!"

His earlier confrontation with the captain still fresh on his mind, jealousy rises in Rin slightly. It's not intentional, but the fact his own sister is here to see his captain, not him, gets to him a little.

"Rin, you have a lot of visitors! You're so popular!"

"They were just leaving, Ai."

"So mean~!"

"Looks like we're not the only visitors…who are they, up in the stands?" Makoto asks, pulling everyone's attention to the bleachers, where a group of students no older than them gathered at the top. Their jackets suggest they're from another school, to which Gou squints to read.

"They're not from our district…is that school in our region?"

"They're scouting competition."

"Eh?"

"We've had a lot of visitors like them this week. Competitors from other schools trying to get a glimpse before Nationals at Mikoshiba. Waste of time; they should be practicing at their own pool instead of sitting around, watching…"

Gou eyes the gathered students, all boys. Most of them have dark hair, wearing matching sweats and pointing around the gym at swimmers and equipment alike. The center boy, however, has pale hair—more so than Nagisa—and seems to have turned his attention on their very group.

Gou feels increasingly uncomfortable, turning back to her brother.

"Mikoshiba will beat them, right?"

Rin shrugs.

"Not sure."

Gou glances back at Mikoshiba who leads a stretch, silently praying victory for him. She spares one final glance at the gathered foreigners, wincing as she realizes the middle boy still stares in their direction.

Subconsciously, she steps behind Rin as though to hide. He notices this, glancing the way she looks, but says nothing. The pale haired boy turns the moment Rin looks, his attention now on Mikoshiba and the other swimmers.

"Well, we better find a place in the bleachers too!" Nagisa chirps.

"We came to cheer for Mikoshiba! Nationals are in two weeks and we want to show our support from Iwatobi!"

Rin doesn't say anything and watches as the group files into the bleachers, all the while watching Gou who seems to continually glance at the rival school.

He decides he'll confront her after practice to see if anything is wrong.

* * *

Practice seems to go well. Mikoshiba spends more time overlooking his team than individually practicing, which Gou feels concerned about but also is grateful-the less that other team sees of Mikoshiba's abilities, the better.

Rin seems to be swimming well, too…

Gou is so concerned, watching her brother, she misses out in half the cheers the others, led by Nagisa, holler out in encouragement towards Mikoshiba; like this is the actual event at Nationals. She doesn't even admire the other fellow swimmer's exposed muscles. She's too busy trying to read Rin from this distance, to notice if he's any bit bother that they haven't spoken.

Maybe he really just doesn't care.

"Oh! It's that time already?" Gou exclaims, glancing at her phone.

"You have to be somewhere, Kou?" Haru asks.

"My mom is out of town this week. She left me all these chores around the house I need to take care of!" She stands suddenly, lifting her arm as if to wave at Rin. She catches herself, though. He isn't turned to face her and won't see her anyway.

He doesn't care if she says goodbye or not.

She swallows her disappointment and says her goodbyes to the others.

Gou spares one glance in the direction of the students from the other school, only to notice they're no longer sitting in the stands.

_When did they leave?_

* * *

By the pool, Mikoshiba catches a glimpse in passing of Gou retreating down the stairs, whipping his head back to the other Iwatobi members to confirm she has indeed left.

"Where's Gou going?" He asks to no one in particular, though Nitori is nearby, drying himself off, and hears him.

"Captain should already confess to Gou…I'm sure she'll reciprocate his feelings!"

"You don't know women," he adds bitterly. "Ah, but you're right! Better to lay your heart out there than let it fester!"

He continues to stare after Gou for a minute, to which Nitori suddenly feels worried about.

"Captain..?"

Mikoshiba suddenly smiles, grinning largely to Nitori and winking before adding, as if more to boost his own confidence then to reassure Nitori, "Don't let it fester, right?!"

"Captain..!?"

* * *

Gou grips both hands around her bag, slumping as she walks from the gym's entrance. She shouldn't have come today, she thinks. She thought coming here and seeing Rin might cure her of this tantrum she's pulling where she isn't talking to him, except it's not a tantrum. There's no reason behind it. He never texts her back so why should she text him? Or call him?

Or talk in person to him?

"Excuse me, Miss? You don't go to Samezuka, do you?"

Gou stops, turning to see the pale boy from the bleachers.

She's just passed the Samezuka school gates, hidden from the school by the wall that encloses the grounds. There's no cars passing in the road beside them and it's getting dark soon.

He's not much taller than her—Nagisa's height, most likely. His hair is lighter than Nitori's, and his eyes are equally as pale. It's unnerving, but she smiles despite herself.

"I'm afraid not! A-are you lost?"

He smiles at her, but there's something off putting about his smile. His eyes look bored, but then they suddenly flicker and there's motive behind them. She grips the strap to her bag tighter.

_Calm down, Kou,_ she thinks.

"That's a shame. That you're not from around here, I mean."

He steps towards her and it's a wonder she doesn't step back, but she holds her ground and nods slowly.

"I didn't catch your name?"

"…Kou," she offers after hesitating.

"That's a pretty name. I'm Kent."

She nods but her smile is thin and she pretends to glance at her phone.

Where are his friends he was with earlier?

"It was nice to meet you, but I'm in kind of a hurry. I wish I could help you, but I-"

"You're in that much of a hurry?"

Gou jumps, because Kent has somehow stepped in front of her. When did he get there? He's quick, she thinks, and she tries to step around him but he throws an arm out and he's blocking her from leaving.

"I think we can find some time," his voice has dropped low and the hairs on the back of her neck rise. She's suddenly overcome with fear and this situation isn't in her favor.

Gou throws her hands in front of her, shoving at Kent. He's expecting it, though; the moment her palms collide with his chest, his hands are there and grip her wrists.

She squirms against him, pushing at him and her bag jumps at her hips, hitting him though he ignores it.

He pushes against her, using his grip on her wrists to shove her backwards and she's tripping into an alley she wasn't aware she was by. This must have been where he was, and why she didn't notice him until he called out to her.

She brings her foot up and kicks at his shin and for a second she's free-

-until a third hand grabs her shoulder.

So that's where his friends were.

Now she's surrounded and there's two hands on each of her arms. She's afraid and when she finally thinks to scream, there's a hand over her mouth, too.

"I'm not in any hurry, why should you be? You're very pretty," Kent adds, like a second thought. Gou struggles in the grips of his friends, who all snicker and watch Kent with hungry eyes. He must be their ringleader, and she's terrified at what sort of gang he leads.

This isn't looking well for her and she wants nothing more but to scream for Rin. For the swim club, for someone. Anyone…

Kent is in front of her and brings a hand to her cheek. The hand gripping her mouth doesn't release, though, and her jaw is being clenched tight to keep from biting her assailant.

"I couldn't help but notice you inside, you're just _that_ pretty!"

"_You're actually really cute!"_

Gou glares at Kent, trying to shake off her retainers and thrashing her legs to keep Kent from her. He deflects her kick, though, and now the space between them is gone. Kent's hands replace that of his friends and his grip pins her arms against her sides. He leans in close and she feels his breadth hit her cheek and she keeps imagining Rin coming to her rescue.

But everyone is inside at swim practice.

No one is going to come looking for and find her because no one expects her to be in trouble.

She's on her own.

Kent cocks his head so his lips are positioned above her, and he's smiling. He's twisting her arms behind her and she squirms uncomfortably, trying to free herself from him. His body is pressed against hers, no matter how much she tries to lean or step away from him. His hand pries at her jaw, forcing her mouth open as he plunges at her.

One moment she's bracing herself, and the next Kent is sprawled on the ground to her left.

Then she notices that her hands and arms and legs are free.

"Run."

Gou hesitates for a moment.

A towering figure steps in front of her without so much as looking back at her, suddenly taking on the gang of her assailants. There's a moment where everything is still before her savior comes to life and bolts between the harassers, landing punch after kick and dodging counter hits.

Adrenaline rushes to her feet and now she's running, but not before she tries one last time to glimpse the profile of her savior.

Mikoshiba.

* * *

Gou rounds the alley just in time to run crashing into the chest of a sprinting figure. For a moment she's afraid it's one of Kent's friends, and she pushes off the chest of the figure without looking up, suddenly screaming at him to let her go, only to find arms embracing her, hugging her to the figure.

"Gou! It's me!"

Gou lifts her head up, and through terrified eyes recognizes her brother.

She opens her mouth to say she's sorry, about having stopped texting him and about having not said goodbye to him and about pushing him away just now, but words don't come out and she's too busy thinking about what she barely got away from just now. She's thinking about Mikoshiba, still back there…

* * *

"Rin! Stay with Gou—We'll help Mikoshiba!"

Rin glances at Makoto and the others who pass him in a race to reach and assist Mikoshiba. He wants so desperately to join the others, to punch the crap out of the bastards who thought they could lay a hand on his sister…

His sister.

Gou is shaking in his arms and just when her legs give and she collapses, he catches her. She tries to turn her head, with wide eyes, to look back towards the others, who have now evened the playing field with Mikoshiba as he's no longer fighting five on one. He realizes that no, he'd rather be here. By her side, holding her, shielding her from looking; _Gou, stop looking_.

Rin pushes at Gou's head, pressing her face into his shirt and blocking her view. He's turned around; he can't watch the others. The temptation is too great to join them.

"Nagisa! Call Coach!"

_Coach..? Sasabe?_ Rin wants to turn around, to ask why Makoto wants Nagisa to call their old coach of all people. His mother, Gou's mom—they should be calling her! They should be calling the police; well, no. Maybe not now.

Nagisa is by his side, with a hand gripping Rin's shoulder because he isn't sure if he should touch Gou or not. He shouldn't. Only Rin can; he hugs her tighter, just to let her know only he's got her, no one is going to get to her through him. Beside him, Nagisa makes the call.

"C-coach? We kind of have a situation…can you come pick us up? Ah….Do you have something larger than the delivery bike..?"

* * *

**A/N: **Random Facts about this story/chapter:

SeiGou is my OTP, like I _adore_ this ship. I really wanted to write a story for them, but I also love Rin and Gou's interactions; nothing made me angrier in that show than the fact Rin never texted Gou back. So, combining those two dynamics I wanted to cover, Rin and Gou's rocky relationship and the forming of a relationship between Seijuro and Gou, I came up with this story! Hopefully this story will cover both the mending relationship of Gou and Rin and a developing one for Gou and Seijuro!

I have no idea what Seijuro's swimmnig event is, and go through the whole story without ever mentioning it by name. I always assumed he did a more distance swim, because to me that makes more sense how he got such a great lead against his opponents at that first competition; to avoid inaccuracy, I just avoided clarifying. That said, I think he goes ahead and makes Nationals-record breaking swim? Plausible enough to me :p

Seijuro didn't have much of a POV in this chapter, but he definitely gets more in later chapters. I think Haru is the hardest character of the cast to write, so don't expect much out of him ever. I'm sorry. Honestly, I think Rin is least OOC in this chapter, because in later chapters I feel like he just falls apart-I'll try to fix that. Gou also seems OOC...Mikoshiba, too...they're all pretty OOC, alright, I'm sorry! This chapter is the beginning of, obviously, the two relationships most explored in this fic-Gou and Seijuro comnig together, and Gou and Rin falling apart :p

Kent is an OC (I hate writing in OCs, but the source of conflict in this fic needed an established catalyst of an antagonist so I'm sorry to those of you like me who dislike stories with OCs...) he certainly will return, but _hopefully_ his part in the story isn't so great that it deflects from the established canon characters!

Originally this story was going to be one really long one shot, but I decided to divide it into chapters corresponding to the songs from the afore-mentioned album this fic is titled after, so I drew out the story a bit and hopefully it won't drag on so bad? I have no intention of keeping chapters waiting-Other fics beckon, so the rest of this story may get posted all at once, or over the course of a few short days. No sense dragging it out for a month!

Hope you enjoyed reading this! Sorry!


	2. Sleep Well

Well~ I'm going ahead and posting the second chapter; the rest should be out within the next few days *hopefully*

I hope you enjoy this second chapter!

It's very much a set-up chapter, and features a lot of Rei POV as a neutral POV away from the central triangle of angst. Still not much Mikoshiba, but his chapter to shine is the third one~!

Disclaimer: Title of the fic is from Lydia's album "Illuminate"; this chapter is named for the track of the same name from the album~ I own none of the characters

* * *

Sleep Well

* * *

The fight doesn't last long. They're even, five for five (until Nagisa steps aside to make the call), except Mikoshiba ought to count for two.

Rei, no doubt calculating the perfect punch, gets decked in the face, luckily only knocking his glasses off rather than snapping them, yet leaving a bruise around his eye.

Makoto is at his defense instantly.

Haru and Nagisa are decent dodgers, though not so good hitters. The most impressive thing, of all the entirety of the fight, is how Haru somehow stripped entirely out of his school uniform down to his swim trunks, which naturally he'd been wearing underneath, in one motion.

Of the rival school's team, they have maybe two good hitters, including the white-haired bastard that acts as the ring-leader (So it would appear, as he calls out commands and the others seem to circle and protect him).

Mikoshiba is relentless; no bars held. He socks one of the kids repetitively, until Makoto steps up to stop him. As Nagisa makes the call, the white-haired boy suddenly calls off his buddies.

Rei wonders if they should really just let them go, but it's Makoto who directs everyone back to Gou. They can't all approach her, so they stand where they are, watching Rin hold her as they wait for Coach Sasabe to arrive.

The rival school clears out quick, because when Rei turns around to look back at them, they're gone.

No one notices when Nitori appears but he's suddenly there just as the punks leave. He recognizes not to approach Rin and Gou, instead walking straight up to Mikoshiba. The Captain pulls the freshmen aside and the two start muttering. Rei is the only one watching those two rather than Rin and Gou, noticing how Mikoshiba's usually bright and smiling face is alarmingly harsh and that he's shaking and he mumbles orders to Nitori.

Nitori suddenly nods quickly and sprints back to the gym. Mikoshiba doesn't walk back to join the others, and Rei almost approaches him but Makoto beats him to it. The two captains begin discussing something in low voices.

Nagisa is about to cry, which cannot be said of Gou, as far as Rei can tell.

Rin is supporting her completely, her legs having just gave, but she isn't shaking or crying. Rin has her smothered, and Rei wonders if she can even breathe.

* * *

Nitori returns just as Coach Sasabe pulls up alongside them in the street.

Sasabe arrives with their teacher Miss Amakata in her minivan in tow. Gou sits in the back seat, practically lifted inside the van by her brother, with Rin beside her and Nitori next to him, crammed as close to the window as he can be and refusing to look at either of them. He insisted to come along—he and Gou have become close as friends as of late, and no one thinks to tell him, or any of them rather, to stay behind; that this is too big a group and that not all of them need to go with Gou and Amakata and Rin and how those three would do just fine. Nagisa and Haru sit in the center while Rei sits shotgun.

Makoto and Mikoshiba ride crammed behind Sasabe on his bike.

Rei glances out the window at the bike; he can't see any of the three male's expressions through their helmets. Makoto occasionally glances at the van, nodding once at Rin in acknowledgement, while Sasabe watches the road. Mikoshiba is looking beyond all of it.

In the rearview window, Rei still can't see Gou's face. She's bowed her head and Rin looms protectively over her. Even then, Rin is awkwardly giving Gou space and the expression on his face, so far as Rei can tell, is one mixed of pain and anger and confusion. Rin doesn't know what to do; none of them do.

It's an uncomfortable car ride and no one knows what to say or where to look. Finally, Amakata mutters,

"We're almost to Coach Sasabe's…"

"Coach? Shouldn't we be taking Gou home?!" Rin barks from the back seat. Rei flinches, as though Gou's name shouldn't be spoken in front of her.

"No one's h-home," Nagisa counters, not daring to look back and face Rin and instead settling for glancing at his reflection in the rear view mirror.

"No one's..?!" Rin grimaces, and Rei realizes suddenly that Rin isn't aware his mother is gone; he's the only one in the car, actually, not aware (Nagisa must have informed Sasabe, who told Amakata—that's why they determined beforehand to go to their old coach's house).

Rei knows Rin has questions, they all do, but no one is willing to say anything or ask anything in the car. Not now.

* * *

The ride is a short one and suddenly they're all pooling out into Sasabe's yard. Rin herds his sister inside and that's the last Rei sees of either of them for a while. Sasabe and Amakata follow quickly while the others stand awkwardly outside, waiting for the 'ok' to come inside.

"Poor Gou…" Nagisa whimpers, watching the door as if waiting for Gou herself to step outside and tell them all she's _fine, let's go have swim practice already_!

The sun is gone and the buzzing of insects fill the silence of the gathered party on Goro's yard.

Haru is standing by Makoto, both mirroring a look of concern. Nitori is slumped beside Nagisa, equally worried.

Mikoshiba is still standing by the bike.

"Ah! Was it alright of you to just leave practice like that?!" Nagisa suddenly asks, turning to Nitori.

"Captain had me call off practice on basis of an emergency," Nitori answers, hushed as though he doesn't want Mikoshiba to hear him.

They're all tiptoeing on egg shells.

Rei glances at Mikoshiba, whose eyes are hidden from the others. He's clutching something and his fist tightens, but Rei can't tell what it is in his hand, or what he's thinking.

Rei himself doesn't know what to think.

* * *

Coach Sasabe finally steps out and motions the others to come inside.

The main bedroom door is closed, but the others are suddenly aware that Rin and Gou are behind it. Amakata is making tea and they all settle around the table, on the floor and against the walls. It's the most somber sleepover ever.

It's Haru who finally speaks up, even more so surprisingly, "Coach…"

"I'm not your coach anymore," Sasabe admits, but if he meant it as a joke it came out as tired and drained, which is how they all feel.

"Sasabe...I, that is, we…we'd like to stay the night, if you don't mind-"

"That's right!" Nagisa iterates, standing suddenly.

"Perhaps Gou needs space," Amakata offers, as though she doesn't agree it's a good idea.

"She needs company," Goro offers, smiling appreciatively at Miss Amakata.

"You're all welcome to stay the night. In fact, I'll go find some blankets…call your folks, if you need."

"I'll help you," Amakata offers, eager to find something to occupy herself with. The moment the adults are gone, everyone is left awkwardly in the kitchen.

* * *

Makoto rubs the back of his neck before flipping out his phone and excusing himself to make a call to his folks. Haru doesn't move; he lives alone. There's no need to call his parents.

Nitori and Mikoshiba, who still is keeping his distance from the group, also remain where they are. They live in a dormitory.

Nagisa leaves to make a call after Makoto, as though they need to take turns and rotate between who can call their parents and who can stand around somberly amongst the others. Rei doesn't understand why, but he still finds himself waiting for Nagisa to return before stepping into the hall and calling his mother, asking to spend the night at Coach's.

("Ah, nothing happened…no, just the team is staying here for the night…Yes…yes, a-alright…Mm…alright.")

When he re-enters the kitchen, Goro and Amakata are back and Coach's arms are crossed.

"A-are you disappointed in us, coach?" Nagisa finally asks, gripping his mug with both hands as their teacher passes around fresh cups of tea. Amakata looks apathetically at him while Sasabe sighs.

"No Coach wants to get a call from his team, whether current or old, to come pick them up from a fight. But, I don't condone you for it…You stood up for one of your own, so I can't be mad at you for that! Or disappointed," he shrugs his shoulders.

"Should we call the police..?" Nitori asks quietly, and it's Makoto who slowly shakes his head.

"Mikoshiba might lose his chance to swim at Nationals…"

Rei glances at Mikoshiba, expecting him to argue that _that doesn't matter. Something needs to be done about those creeps! _

But, Mikoshiba doesn't seem to have heard anything any of them have said. His eyes are to the floor and his fist is still curled.

Amakata excuses herself quietly with two cups in hand; for Rin and Gou.

"What do we do, then..?" Nitori asks, suddenly hopeless.

"We finish our tea, then go to bed," Goro decides for them. "Let Gou sleep; in the morning, I'll take you all home."

No one argues, or says anything for that matter, and after a minute the cups start piling in the sink and Ama, when she returns a moment later, distributes blankets and pillows that she and Sasabe gathered.

"Here, Rei, let me see that eye of yours," Amakata offers, taking him aside to the bathroom.

* * *

Rei sits on the sink while Amakata rustles through the first aid kit under Goro's sink, fumbling for some cream and a bandage.

"You're pretty lucky your glasses didn't break," Amakata adds cheerfully as Rei sets them aside so she can dab at his quickly-forming black eye.

"Mm…" Rei agrees. Amakata is trying to smile and makes one more remark about how this eye of his should heal up soon. It stopped throbbing in the car and Rei hopes it doesn't swell too noticeably. He did just lie to his parents saying nothing had happened, so imagine their surprise tomorrow if they see him with a swollen black eye.

"Goro mentioned he had some old clothes you kids could use for pajamas, if you need some."

Rei just nods, still not having found his voice to properly answer Miss Amakata.

She sighs, dropping her hands for a moment.

"Gou will be fine, Rei," she assures him.

Rei clenches his fists and really wonders about that. Gou seemed pretty shaken.

"Can't we do anything about those kids..?" Rei asks. Amakata frowns.

"Goro and I could speak to their coaches, if we knew who they were. I definitely intend to not let this just slide; it's unthinkable!" She admits, and for such a small teacher she still manages to shake with anger that until then she'd done well to hide. "But, it's ultimately up to Gou how she wants to handle them…"

"Gou will want justice! If Mikoshiba hadn't reached her in time, they would've-!"

"-Then it's a good thing Mikoshiba found her," Amakata cuts him off. "We'll have to wait until morning to see how Gou feels about everything. For now, just try to get some sleep, alright?" Amakata finishes by plastering a bandage under Rei's eye and sending him on his way.

Before he leaves, she asks him to send back Makoto-his knuckles were bleeding, she'd noticed, and she wants to clean them up before he falls asleep.

* * *

Rin sits on his knees, facing his sister though her back is turned to him. She's slipping one of his old coach's shirts over her head to replace the school uniform. She does so quickly, trying to hide her form from her brother, which he thinks is ridiculous. They used to bathe together as kids; since when did she feel this uncomfortable around him?

When both her arms slip through the sleeves, she tilts her head as if to look back at Rin, but never truly does.

_Look at me, Gou,_ he wants to tell her.

"Don't tell mom about this, alright?" She finally mutters quietly. It's the first he's heard her voice since she screamed at him to let her go. "She's been busy lately and doesn't need anything else to worry about."

"Gou-!"

"Please?" She pleads.

Rin wants to yell at her how stupid that is, but finally just nods. She doesn't see him, though, so he quickly adds, "Mm," and she relaxes her shoulders in relief.

"Where is mom?"

"She's away on business."

What her voice doesn't say is that their mom is frequently away; she's busy, trying to support her son at his prestigious school and her daughter. Being an only parent is hard work.

"When does she come back?"

"Her trip got extended. Sometime next week," Gou shrugs before pulling the comforter Sasabe gave her over her shoulders, laying down to definitively halt the conversation.

Rin wants to grip her shoulders and roll her over, tell her that he's not done talking to her, but all he can think of is how she tried to push him away, mistaking him for one of the assaulters.

Rin clenches his fists and thinks of that damn white-haired bastard. He hadn't thought much of it, how uncomfortable Gou had been at the practice, glancing up at those guys in the bleachers. Did she know them prior to today? Or did she just recognize that they were trouble, when he couldn't?

They were lucky Mikoshiba got-

Mikoshiba.

Rin glares and looks away. He really shouldn't be upset, not at Mikoshiba after what he did and how he saved Gou.

But he's jealous. Jealous that Mikoshiba got to her first and saved her, and that Mikoshiba got to land a punch on those bastard's faces.

He wishes Gou would sit up and look at him and tell him that's she's fine. That he doesn't need to worry so much about her.

But she isn't talking to him. She won't talk about the things he wants to talk about. How she hasn't texted him. How she didn't even say goodbye to him at the practice. How she feels after…

"Gou…" He tries, quietly. _Please be awake_, he thinks.

She doesn't answer, so he tries again. He wants to raise his voice so she will wake up, if she is asleep, but he also doesn't want to wake her if she isn't.

"Gou."

"…Rin," she finally mutters from under the blanket.

His heart tightens.

"Gou…I'm sorry."

"Don't."

That's all she says and he thinks about reaching out to her, hugging her, but doesn't. He doesn't know what to say because all he wants to do is yell at her, ask why she stopped texting him, why she avoided him all week, why she left on her own. But he can't yell at her. None of this was her fault.

He wants to tell her this, too, but he can't bring himself to say anything. So, he doesn't.

He stands, hesitating a moment to see if Gou will say anything. When she doesn't, he steps towards the door, the tea cups in hand, and exits the room, closing the door as quietly behind him as when he opened it.

* * *

Despite Goro and Amakata encouraging them all to get some sleep, none of the others find themselves to be that tired immediately.

By the time Makoto returns, both hands heavily bandaged around his knuckles, and the overseeing adults take their leave having handed out all the extra shirts and blankets Goro had to offer, everyone had once again gathered in a circle in the living room.

Nagisa had cocooned himself in his blanket, with only his eyes peering from beneath the blanket.

Haru was sprawled on his back, genuinely trying to sleep, but as Makoto took his place beside Haru, he sat up; suddenly deciding staying awake a little longer wasn't so bad.

Mikoshiba was in the kitchen, though no one saw or heard him from within the living room. They all just knew he was there.

Nitori went to check in on him once and returned nearly twenty minutes later, but didn't say what had passed between the two of them.

Rei sat across from Nagisa, a large gap between himself and Makoto within their circle.

No one spoke for a while before Nagisa finally piped up, "We should do something for Gou!"

Rei raised an eyebrow, "You're not suggesting throwing her a party?!"

He didn't think this was the occasion for a party.

"Not like that! I just mean…Gou must be really shaken right now! I am," he admitted. "So, we should do something nice for her! Let her know we're here for her!"

Makoto smiled, "That'd be a nice gesture. But what?"

"Well, a party is too much…" Nagisa admitted, to which Rei gawked at. He _was_ originally suggesting a party?!

"How about we just surprise her! It'll be like a party…but not! We'll all gather together and surprise her…maybe with a cake! And streamers-!"

"That's a party." Rei warned.

"Oh, yeah…I guess I don't know how to throw a party that isn't a party…"

Makoto chuckled, which was surprisingly relieving to hear. Tension seemed to break a little. "I like your suggestion, Nagisa. Maybe not a cake and streamers…but we could all get together and cook a dinner for Gou-"

"I can grill," Haru suddenly perked up.

Everyone knew he was suggesting Mackerel.

"Alright, Haru can grill. We could pitch in, get Gou a gift; just something small…"

"Gou could use a new bag."

Everyone whipped around to acknowledge Rin entering the room. He'd changed out of his swimwear, much like the rest of them. He dragged a blanket and sat beside Rei to complete the circle, though far enough back that he also appeared to alienate himself.

"Ah, Rin!" Nagisa cheered. "You'll be there, too?!"

Rin opened his mouth, annoyed, and Rei expected him to argue, "of course I'll be there, she's my sister" but words never came out. He stopped himself and glared to the side.

"We can all chip in to buy Gou a new bag," Makoto thoughtfully continued, ignoring Rin's hesitation and Nagisa's comment.

"We should throw the party Monday!"

"It's not a party," Rei reminded Nagisa.

"It can be an appreciation par-gathering," Nagisa catches himself, Rei still glaring him warningly.

"Should we invite Miss Ama and Sasabe?"

"I don't see why not."

"I think this is a great idea!"

"I'm tired now…"

"We should all turn in now. We'll talk further about the party tomorrow."

Rei turns to Rin, about to ask how Gou was, but Rin has already stood, moving himself further away from the others as they all spread out to sleep.

* * *

Nagisa is the first to fall asleep, having worried himself out. He sprawls out on the floor, extending to kick Haru, who is the second to sleep. Rin takes his blanket and sets his makeshift bed just outside the bedroom door where Gou is, with his back turned to the others. Nitori sleeps closest to him, though with enough distance between them that he's not impeding on the sibling's space.

Rei finds it weird that Rin isn't sleeping in the room with Gou. He wonders if they're having a fight, or if Gou herself asked for some privacy.

Makoto stays up the longest, sitting on the back porch with a cup of tea still in hand. Rei doesn't remember Makoto preparing a second serving of tea, but wonders if perhaps Mikoshiba did while he was in the kitchen for so long. Rei thinks about approaching him, because he can't sleep either, but decides against it.

Goro is on the couch in another room, and Rei isn't sure where Amakata is; either in a guest mattress somewhere or having left to her own home, though he doubts that.

Mikoshiba has his back to them all, stiff and still in a corner, and Rei wonders when he fell asleep. Just as he thinks as much, though, Mikoshiba stirs and suddenly sits upright.

At first, Rei thinks he's sleep walking but when Mikoshiba turns, Rei sees that he is very much awake.

Rei closes his eyes quickly, feigning sleep as Mikoshiba tip-toes around the sleeping bodies. Once Mikoshiba passes Rei, Rei opens one eye just barely, seeing if Makoto from outside has noticed the movement from within.

He hasn't.

Rei follows Mikoshiba with his eye, watching the older boy step around Nitori and carefully over Rin, approaching the bedroom door.

Rei wants to sit up and asks Mikoshiba what he's doing, but decides against it as the youth slowly slides the bedroom door open, slipping inside before closing the door.

Rei watches Rin to see if he stirs, and when he doesn't Rei silently congratulates Mikoshiba for overcoming that obstacle.

* * *

**A/N: **Random Facts~

I chose to write some of the story from Rei's POV because I needed a character who was just as confused and not centrally involved with the drama, and I liked the idea of writing from Rei's POV; he's a good neutral voice, I thought. In original drafts of the story, Rin does sleep in the same room as Gou but that was revised and you'll understand why in the next chapter; also, it adds to how distant their relationship is. This chapter sets up how Rin realizes he and his sister aren't very close anymore, he doesn't know how to be there for her right now and they hav emiscommunication on both of their behalfs that is hindering their problem getting any better. This wedge, though, is perfect opportunity for a certain someone to swoop in a pick Gou back up on her feet~

That said, though, I try throughout this story to keep Gou a stronge character; the show did a great job of fleshing her out so, yes, she was the chick of the team and show but she wasn't so flat and she certainly wasn't just a 'love interest' kind of character which is one of my biggest concerns in writing a romance fic :/ That's why I'm afraid she turns out to be very OOC in this story~ So, sorry about that...

Also in an earlier draft, there was a scene between Makoto and Haru, when Makoto is sitting outside. I was playing with the idea of showing multiply views from all the characters in handling this situation, and the most developed of those ideas was a conversation between those two. I eventually cut that idea for two reasons mainly, 1 being Haru is the hardest character for me to write, and 2, I decided to keep the POVs limited to Rin, Gou, Mikoshiba (picks up more later) Rei, and even later Hana, Gou's friend. And same thing can be said of Amakata that is said of Haru; I don't use her trademark literature quotes because I hardly know any and am too lazy to look proper ones up. So, in that sens,e she's OOC too...(They all are, sorry!)

Anyway, I forget whatelse I was gonig to say for this chapter (I'm gonig to be compeltely honest; I'm still hung over from last night T_T) But I hope you enjoyed this chapter and story! I'll update soon; hopefully the story will pick up! Sorry!


	3. Stay Awake

! I'm on a roll, trying to get these chapters out~

Disclaimer: I own nothing~! The title of this piece is from Lydia's album "Illuminate"

* * *

Stay Awake

* * *

"G…Kou?"

Mikoshiba is nervous, his back pressed against the door he's just closed. He hopes Rin doesn't wake and hear him, but he also hopes he doesn't wake Gou if she's sleeping. This was stupid, he thinks, but it's too late to go back. No, he needs to know that she's okay and…

"Mikoshiba?" Gou stirs and the bundle of blankets shift to reveal her form, her back turned to him as she slowly props herself up.

"Is it alright if I'm here?" Mikoshiba asks shyly, whispering from across the room.

The moonlight from the sole window of the room catches her silhouette and he sees her nod.

"May I come closer?" He asks.

Again, she nods.

Mikoshiba makes his way across the room before crouching a few feet from the mattress, crossing his legs trying to get comfortable.

He opens his mouth to speak, but then doesn't know exactly what to say.

She beats him to it, though.

"Mikoshiba, I-…thank you."

"Kou-!"

"I mean it! You…if you hadn't been there…" Something suddenly clicks in her mind and she sits up straighter, turning to face him but still hugging the comforter over her legs, "How did you know to come after me?!" She asks suddenly.

"I, ah…" Mikoshiba blushes, thankful that the dark hides it as much_. I was going after you to confess to you,_ he thinks to say. But, he can't bring himself to say that. Not after what she just went through.

He then remembers his excuse for coming here, into this room, in the first place and holds out what he's been holding all afternoon.

It's her Iwatobi swim club charm.

"I found this—you dropped it, and that's why I thought you might be in trouble…"

That was true, at least. He came across the charm just outside the school gate, and heard the faintest struggle. That's how he found her, and then everything else had been a blur to him. Twice in one afternoon it fell off her bag and he's grateful for it.

"Thank you," Gou admits quietly, lifting out her hands to take the charm from him. Their hands meet and for a moment it's like she's holding his. Then he realizes that she's shaking and suddenly all his concern for her and trying to gently approach the subject and tip-toe around everything melts away and he reaches out and pulls her into him.

He's bigger than her but his hug is gentle, like he's afraid to break her. It's unlike her brother's hug from before, where he held her to support her. Mikoshiba holds her to protect her and she slowly lets her free hand cling to his shirt, sinking into his hug.

"I was really scared," she admits and she doesn't try to control her shaking anymore.

Mikoshiba slides his hands on her back, still careful not to press too firmly against her, and lowers his chin to her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," he offers. He's afraid he's holding her too tightly, or that she won't appreciate his contact. But, she doesn't push him away, or flinch, or anything.

She whimpers suddenly and that's the signal for tears to begin. Sniffling quietly, she tries to muffle her sobs in his shirt, clinging closer to him and he both hates and loves this.

Slowly, she climbs into his lap, bringing her knees to her chest and he takes the blanket from her, wrapping it around the both of them. The charm is still clutched in her hands.

"He…" she starts, and he recognizes that she's talking about the creep who had been touching her when he'd found them. The one leaned in close to her face…

"He told me…He called me pretty," she sniffles, trying to laugh through it, like how vain must she sound right now; but he isn't smiling and she really doesn't feel like it in actuality. "I…and I thought of you," she admits slowly, lifting her head to look Mikoshiba in the eyes.

"How…th-that one time, you said I was really cute!"

Mikoshiba's heart sinks. That that _creep_ could have reminded her of him, in any way…

Her tears are soaking through his thin shirt and she shifts positions so her knees slide under her but she's still perched in his lap.

"I-I was so mad!"

Despite himself, he smiles a little, except it's a weak smile and he's almost brought to tears, too.

"You were mad?"

She nods against him.

"I-I didn't like hearing it from him!" Her voice hiccups and she cringes, burying further against him and he forgets trying to give her space and suddenly hugs her as tightly as he can.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. "I'm so sorry."

She shakes her head. "You d-didn't anything, though…y-you saved me!"

He brings his hand up to pat her head, smoothing her hair down as he whispers softly, "You're alright. None of us, me or your brother or any of those people outside this room, are going to let anything like that happen-"

But she's shaking her head again, pushing against him briefly. "My brother-!"

"You're not mad at him, are you?" Mikoshiba cuts her off suddenly. Her shoulders sink.

"No…"

"But you two aren't talking..?"

"H-how did you know that?!"

Mikoshiba leans back, supporting himself on his two hands behind him while Gou leans back herself so they can face each other, though she remains in his lap.

"He mentioned you hadn't texted him at all. And you normally do?"

Gou blushes a little, looking to the side, "W-well, I didn't have anything to talk to him about…"

"Nothing?"

She bites her lip but shakes her head.

"Then just say hello!"

Gou bowed her head, "It's not like that, though…"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Gou still shakes her head but Mikoshiba brings a hand up to her chin, lifting it so she has to look at him. He smiles encouragingly, "I have a little sister too, ya know? I'll understand."

She didn't know that about him. Gou stares at him a moment longer before finally admitting, "When Rin first moved to Australia…he was always busy, with practice and everything. The time zone difference wasn't so bad, but there were only certain hours that he could call or talk. We'd try video chats, every day after school! And we kept it up for a whole year!"

Gou's eyes, again, got sad.

"Every day he seemed less and less himself. He was having a tough time over there, following his dream, I think. Then, he started missing video chats. He wouldn't call the house as often…finally, he stopped calling altogether."

Gou brought her knees up again, defensively curling her face to them. She remembers staying up all night by the computer, waiting for his chat icon to blink "online". She'd fall asleep with her face on the keyboard only to wake up in the morning and see her screen having gone blank. He never returned the calls.

"I'd log on, wait for him…he'd never be on, though. He'd visit for New Year's, but only for a week. He wasn't the same ever, either. When we got older, mother bought us cell phones. I'd text him, every day. Even after he returned, I'd text him, because he immediately went to Samezuka and moved into the dorms. I knew he got my texts, but he'd never reply. Still doesn't.

So, I finally figured I'm just bothering him. Texting him every day when he never texts me back." Gou finished with an indefinite shrug, trying to look away as though she wasn't bothered.

Mikoshiba didn't buy it.

"That's bullshit!"

"Eh?!"

"If my little sister texted me every day..! I think it's great that you try to reach out to Rin! He's a pretty heartless guy-"

"He's not heartless!"

Mikoshiba laughed, "No, you're right. He's not heartless. But, he's thick-headed."

Gou had to agree with that, nodding slowly.

Mikoshiba's smile softened, "Don't stop texting him, okay? I think you really worried him when you stopped."

Gou puffed out her cheeks, "Then why didn't he say anything to me?"

Mikoshiba shrugged. "It's Rin. He probably doesn't know how to reach out to someone-he needs them to reach out first."

Gou pouted.

"Don't make that face!" Mikoshiba laughed, calling her attention back to him. "You came to see him today, didn't you?" He asks, trying to hide his hesitation at mentioning anything about this afternoon.

Gou shakes her head, "No. We actually came to see you!"

"M-me?"

"Mm. To cheer you on!"

In the little light that seeped through the window, Gou could just make out the planes of Mikoshiba's face. His eyes looked black in the dark and his hair was ruffled from sweat and laying on it. Like the others, he'd changed out of his swim and school uniforms in clothes too big to be his own, lent out like hers from Coach Sasabe. Had she seen the others, though, she'd have noticed Mikoshiba fit best into the tall clothes of the Iwatobi's boys' occasional coach (Nagisa was swallowed by the shirt he borrowed).

His smile was what she mostly focused on.

Gou felt much calmer, having stopped shaking. Mikoshiba pushed himself off the support of his hands, slinging them again around her and pulling Gou into his embrace.

"You scared your brother a lot today…" _all of us. Me…_

"…sorry," she admits.

He's suddenly afraid she'll start crying again so he quickly pulls her shoulders back so she can once again face him.

_Don't let it fester…_

"G-Kou Matsuoka, I-I know today…now isn't the best time, b-but would you go on a date with me!"

Gou stares at Mikoshiba, still processing his request. He suddenly feels conscious and nervous; he thought he could handle rejection but she's so cute, sitting this close to him and he can't help but really, _really_ want her to say yes.

"Mikoshiba…"

Here it comes, he thinks.

"_You're sweet, but I just can't!"_ He braces himself for these words, closing his eyes because he doesn't want to look at her when she rejects him. _C'mon, be a man about this,_ he yells at himself.

"Alright."

Mikoshiba's eyes snap open.

"R-really?!"

Gou giggles and that about melts his heart because not only is she finally smiling but he's also gotten her to giggle and Rin could walk in on them right now and murder Mikoshiba in cold blood for touching his sister and Mikoshiba would die a happy and satisfied man.

Well, no, he'd be more so happy if he actually survived until the now-confirmed-to-happen date.

Gou just nods and Mikoshiba almost leaps onto his feet except Gou is sitting in his lap still and he doesn't want to push her off him. He could stay like this for a while longer.

Gou's smile drops a bit and she curls closer in to Mikoshiba, instinctively, and his own smile fades.

"Kent…" She whispers, and Mikoshiba feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand.

So that's what the creep's name was. He hadn't asked for a name when he was beating the crap out of the bastard earlier.

"Gou…are you sure you're alright?"

Gou nods, not looking up at Mikoshiba.

"You saved me," she repeats, more to herself than him and he wants desperately to wrap his arm around her waist and cling her closer to him.

Instead, he lowers his head so that his chin rests on her forehead, thinking for a moment before risking everything and kissing her brow, quickly and lightly.

"You're safe now," he adds, like some cliché line that's supposed to make her feel better except he doubts it does anything.

His cheeks now burning, he slips her off him because he's pushing his luck already, staying in here with Rin just outside the door. But, just as Gou slips off him and he begins to stand, she reaches out and takes his hand in hers.

"Will you stay?" She suddenly asks.

Truth be told, she wishes Rin was here. She wishes she'd called out to him, when he was leaving, and asked him to stay with her in this room. To sleep beside each other like they used to when they were kids.

But she was afraid he'd be annoyed. That he'd tell her to stop being so childish, or worse; that he'd stay begrudgingly and silently seethe in annoyance at her request.

She doesn't want to be alone right now, to sleep by herself in this strange room after everything.

Mikoshiba falls back on his legs and nods slowly, like he's lost for words. In one fluid motion he lays himself down beside her, at the edge of the mattress, still staring with wide eyes as she slowly pulls the comforter over the both of them.

Her face is burning and she tries to hide it with the blanket, only to remember it's dark and hopefully he can't see just how embarrassed she is. He keeps looking at her and she wonders if he has blinked yet.

He seems to notice because he all of a sudden returns his attention to the now and glances aside, flipping on his back so he's no longer facing her, watching her awkwardly.

She does the same, pretending to close her eyes and fall asleep, though her mind is racing.

Maybe she shouldn't have covered them both in one blanket. Maybe she shouldn't have asked him to stay beside her.

He slips his arms under his head, stretching and adjusting and she makes the mistake of glancing at him, catching the outline of the moonlight hitting his arms. Those muscles…

She flips over onto her shoulder so he's completely gone from her sight. He wonders if he did something wrong, but a moment later she flips back over as if to assure him that she doesn't take it back; she wants him to stay.

Neither is sure which one of them falls asleep first, but Gou lets the penguin charm roll between them and sometime in the night her hand reaches out and grips his shirt, like it used to do to Rin when they were children.

* * *

Mikoshiba jolts awake to someone shaking his shoulder. He flips out instinctively, throwing his arm out to defend Gou, only for the hand to grip his shoulder and a voice to shush him warningly.

"You don't want to wake Gou…or Rin."

Mikoshiba recognizes Coach Sasabe leaning over him, smiling smugly.

Next, Mikoshiba notices that it's morning and the sun is just rising.

"Better move outside before Rin wakes up and finds you in here, sleeping with his sister," Sasabe winks.

"I-it wasn't like-!"

"Shh! I just said, don't wake either of them!"

Mikoshiba silently stands, following the former coach out of the room and tip toeing over Rin's body, pressed almost entirely against the door to the bedroom. Mikoshiba knows he owes Sasabe greatly for this, but before he can express his gratitude, the coach slips out of the room, towards the kitchen where Mikoshiba can lightly hear Miss Amakata also moving around in.

* * *

**A/N: **This entire chapter is told from Mikoshiba's POV, which kinda makes up for him not having much of a POV in the previous two chapters and really cements the start of him being one of the most prominent characters of this story~

In the first draft of this story, Rin sleeps in the same room as Gou and Mikoshiba and her sneak out and sit on the porch together and talk outside; they eventually fall asleep beside eachother and Rin does wake up to find them, though this draft saves Rin/Mikoshiba confrontation for later chapters (There's plenty of it).

Not much else to say about this chapter~! Hope you enjoyed it!


	4. One More Day

! I mean to post this chapter, like, two days ago; I've just found myself away from home and the computer lately, so real quick before I get swamped again in business~ here is this chapter! It's short, sorry!

Disclaimer: I own nothing~! Chapter title is off of Lydia's album "Illuminate"-highly suggest giving the album and band a listen~!

* * *

One More Day

* * *

"Hm? Kou? Are you alright? You didn't text me at all this weekend…"

Gou jumps at the sound of Chigusa, approaching Gou's desk with her books in hand. Gou still has her notebook and pencils sprawled on her desk, despite class ending over a minute ago.

"You seem really distracted…did something happen?"

* * *

That morning, at Coach Sasabe's house, Gou stood in the kitchen with Miss Amakata and Rin. The others were still asleep and Coach Sasabe was in the shower.

Gou had woken up and Mikoshiba had been gone, but she didn't hold it against him. It'd probably been weird for him, her having asked that of him, to stay the whole night with her…to sleep next to her…

She blushes at the thought until Rin's voice pulls her back to the now. Miss Amakata is asking her what she wants to do. Gou won't involve the authorities; she'd rather just put this all behind her. Amakata offers to give Gou a ride home, before the others wake up. She wants to be there when they do wake up, she thinks; so she can thank them all for coming to her rescue yesterday, but Rin decides for her that Amakata should do as much.

Gou wants to ask Rin if he'll stay at the house for the weekend, since their mother is still gone. But, she can't bring herself to. She just nods with what he says and she and Miss Amakata leave the kitchen. She doesn't look back at Rin and she doesn't try to see where Mikoshiba ended up retreating to after he left her in the night. She doesn't leave a note for the others, but in the car she asks Miss Amakata to pass along to the others that she is very grateful for them. Amakata promises to tell them.

* * *

"Chores," Gou lies. She doesn't want to worry Chigusa, too. She hasn't seen any of the others all morning, but already she feels like she's been dodging questions all day.

"Have you texted Rin at all?"

Chigusa knows all the right topics to touch on.

"No…" Gou says, with a heavier heart than she meant to.

"You should have at least invited him over this weekend, with your mom gone and all…at least you saw him Friday, right?"

Gou almost admits _Saturday morning, too_, but bites that back.

"And what are you going to do this weekend?" Chigusa asks. Chigusa herself is visiting relatives this weekend, Gou remembers. Gou blushes, suddenly remembering, "I may have a date…"

She doesn't mean to say it out loud, but the moment it escapes her lips, she regrets it. Hanamura lights up, gasping loudly enough that Gou has to cover her mouth.

"I-I mean, it's nothing set in stone or anything!" She counters, but it's too late.

"With who?!"

Gou shrugs, "Mikoshiba…"

"Mikoshiba? He's not on the swim team, is he?"

Gou winces, "Not the Iwatobi one…why?"

Chigusa smirks, "I just assumed you hanging around all the boys, you'd eventually either date one of become one! And what do you mean not the Iwatobi one? Oh! Is he a swimmer on your brother's team?"

Gou nods slowly, "He's the Captain…"

"The _Captain_!"

"D-don't say it like that!"

* * *

Again, no practice today, and Gou really doesn't feel like being confronted by the swim team members again today. She just wants to go home and finish her chores before her mother comes home at the end of the week and yells at her for doing nothing all weekend. Gou shoves her book and pencils into her bag, her Iwatobi charm swinging as she slings her bag over her shoulder.

She smiles at it, thinking of Mikoshiba, before catching herself and quickly dropping her smile before Chigusa notices and teases her for it.

"Oh, hey! I'll be just a moment," Chigusa calls suddenly, just as the two reach the bottom of the school stairs. "I need to see to someone about the notes from this morning's lecture I missed!"

Gou giggles, "You really shouldn't sleep in class!"

Hana nods, "I'd ask you, but you didn't take notes either!"

Gou sighs because it's true; her mind was wandering all morning.

"Guess I'll need to see those notes, too…"

"Wait for me by the gates, alright?"

Gou nods, going their separate ways.

* * *

"Rei!"

Rei turns just in time for Nagisa to crash into him, swinging his arm over the taller boy and pulling him down to his level, whispering suspiciously so no one will overhear, "Did you bring it?"

Rei shrugs Nagisa off of him, straightening his uniform as Makoto and Haru join them.

"I hid the gift in the swim club locker room."

* * *

The morning after the fight, Rei woke up to Nagisa pouting and Ama explaining that she'd taken Gou home already. Rei thought it was odd that Rin was still there, however-he wondered if Rin was awake when Ama took Gou home or if he voluntarily let her leave by herself.

"Was she alright?!" Nagisa begged. Ama smiled assuredly, but then again she always seemed to be smiling and Rei didn't buy it this time.

"She's fine! Now, Rin tells me though that you all plan to throw her a party..?"

"Not a party," Makoto corrects, though Nagisa is nodding his head.

"I think that's a wonderful idea!" Miss Ama adds, throwing in some quote about healing the soul with celebration of simply existing though no one quite understands or follows.

"We want to buy her a new bag!" Nitori offers.

"That's a good idea. Do any of you know what kind of bag she'd like?"

Visibly their hearts sink. None of them have any idea.

"Oh, well, I'm sure she'll like whichever you choose! A gift from the heart-"

"Ah, that's alright, Miss Ama…" Makoto cuts her off.

It was decided that they'd hold the party at Haru's; since he was the one grilling and because his house was on the way to Gou's. And with no one there, they could set up for the party-that's-not-a-party.

"Streamers! And decorations!"

"No. Nagisa, we already agreed on none of that stuff!" Rei chided.

It was decided they'd all go shop for a bag tomorrow, and Rei volunteered to hold onto it and sneak it to school the following day. He'd hid it before homeroom in the swim club house in his own cubby, though he doubted Gou would go in there at all that day.

* * *

He hadn't seen Gou all day, actually. He'd though to try to find her during lunch, but ended up spending his lunch helping tutor a fellow student of his class for an upcoming quiz. He didn't get the chance to ask any of the other swim club members if they'd seen Gou.

"Let's get the gift, then head to Haru's!" Nagisa chimed.

Rei nodded, "All that's left is to wait on _him."_

"Let's go the back way, so we don't run into Gou!"

"Mm!"

* * *

It's another warm afternoon and several passing students wave goodbye to Gou as they pass her. She holds a quick conversation with one classmate about their separate homeroom teachers and how his, unfortunately, is the meaner one. Gou apologizes for his misfortune and then bids him on his way. A few minutes pass and she becomes impatient; what's taking Chigusa so long?

She taps her foot, as though Chigusa will suddenly hear her and become aware that she's taking too long. Gou considers leaving without her.

"Waiting for someone? I hope it's me, though I guess it's not."

Gou feels her spine stiffen at the voice and she doesn't dare turn around to confirm what she fears.

"I'm not sure if you remember me; we did only meet briefly before our introduction was cut short. Wasn't it, Kou?"

Kent.

Gou slowly turns around and sure enough, the white-haired boy is standing behind her, a hand on his hip casually. All around them, students pass her unsuspectingly and she secretly hopes that Makoto or Haru or Rei or Nagisa will pass by or see them. That they'll come to her rescue again.

No, she doesn't need them to save her.

Furrowing her brows, Gou balls her fists, warning him, "Stay away from me."

Her voice is low but she glances to the side. One false move on his behalf and she'll scream.

"Don't do that," he warns her. "I just want to talk. C'mon, walk with me."

He slinks up to her, again with speed she isn't quite ready for, and by the time she's inhaling to yell, he's got a hand pressed over her mouth. He slings his arm around her casually, playing it off so no one around them suspects anything.

Gou won't deny she's impressed with muscles, but she finds no pleasure in just how strong Kent is, forcefully pushing her along beside him. She tries to open her mouth but his grip is again clenching her jaw tightly and as afraid as she is, a small part of her is conscious about making a scene.

She wants to hit him, to throw him off her, to scream for help or that she's supposed to be waiting for Chigusa, but he doesn't notice. He keeps pulling her along like some kind of leash and no matter how hard she tries to turn her head, to look back for Chigusa, to warn someone, she can't struggle against him ushering her from the school grounds.

"C'mon now. It's just you and me this time. Let's leave the others out of it, alright? Your brother, too?"

That catches her off guard. How does she know about her brother? Did he even see Rin that day? Rin stayed back away from the fight. Did Kent see him and recognize that they look enough alike to be siblings? Was he threatening her, using her brother as leverage?

"I was hoping I'd recognize you. I recognized your school uniform but I didn't think I'd find you just waiting outside of school—just my luck, though! It's like you were waiting for me," he mocks. "We got off on the wrong foot, _Kou_, and I'm going to fix that."

She hates being called Gou, it's so masculine. But, she can't stand the way Kent puts the wrong kind of emphasis on _Kou_. It doesn't sound pretty and girly and cute. It doesn't sound like her name.

Kou hears the buzz in her bag of her cellphone and wonders if that's Chigusa, texting her that _Gee, glad Kou waited for her_. Kou wants to text her back that she's in danger, but Kent isn't letting her reach for her bag.

* * *

Chigusa is stepping quickly down the stairs when she notices out the window the retreating form of Kou and what appears to be a boy from another school. His uniform is foreign to her; the boy himself isn't someone Chigusa recognizes, so she knows it's not Rin.

At first, Chigusa pouts, thinking Kou is abandoning her. That is, until she remembers what Kou said.

"Ah! That must be Mikoshiba!" Chigusa suddenly smiles, shaking her head. She's not thrilled that Kou couldn't wait for her and introduce her to this Mikoshiba, but they're walking so quickly that Chigusa assumes he's in a hurry. Maybe they're on their way to their date. Chigusa will forgive her, this time…

Chigusa slows her pace, no longer in a rush to reach Kou, even stopping for a drink at the fountain.

When she reaches the outside, however, she sees someone she wasn't expecting.

"Rin?"

Gou's brother turns his head at being recognized, looking confused for a moment before recognizing Chigusa as his sister's friend, who he's met at least twice by now.

"Chigusa, is it?"

Chigusa nods slowly. "What are you doing here? Challenging the Iwatobi swim team?" Chigusa smirks. Gou's told her a lot about her aloof, mysterious brother.

Rin frowns, "No. I'm looking for my sister. She isn't with you?"

"Eh?" Hana asks, confused. "Did Gou know you were coming to pick her up..?"

Rin scratches at the back of his head. "No…I just texted her saying I was on my way, but she hasn't texted me back…"

Is she still mad at him? He wonders. He finally texted her first, isn't that what she always wanted? She can't be so mad at him that she'd see his message and ignore it, walking home by herself after he went through all the trouble of coming out here.

Chigusa shakes her head, "She just left with Mikoshiba."

Rin feels a rage flare up inside him, but calmly asks Chigusa to repeat herself.

"Yeah, she just left with a boy. It's Mikoshiba, isn't it?"

But Rin stopped listening to her, his own phone already out in hand, scrolling quickly through contacts.

A moment later, Mikoshiba's number is being dialed.

"_Hello?"_

"The _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

"_Matsuoka? Ah, what's this about exactly..?"_

"You know damn well what this is about," Rin mutters, keeping his voice low but threatening.

"_Ah, Matsuoka, I-?"_

"Where are you taking my sister, bastard?!"

Mikoshiba goes quiet on the other side of the line before he asks carefully, _"Wh-what do you mean?"_

"I mean you picked her up just now, didn't you?"

"…_I'm back at the school, Rin. What are you talking about? Who's Gou with? Rin-"_

Rin hangs up without hearing anything else. Slowly, he turns back to Chigusa.

"What did 'Mikoshiba' look like?"

"Eh? He…he had a different school uniform on." It's then that Chigusa notices the boy Gou left with and Rin don't wear the same uniform. Wasn't Mikoshiba captain of Rin's swim team? "And he had white hair-"

"Which direction."

Rin's voice is scary.

"E-excuse..?"

"Which direction did they go!"

* * *

_[I'm walking you home today. Almost at your school]_

* * *

**A/N: **Rin had texted her~! But shit just got real... Hope this chapter wasn't too confusing? Chigusa has screen time~! And, like Rei, will continue to do so because she's that third-party voice; she has even less of the blanks filled than Rei did, so she's out of the loop~

And I don't think Chigusa ever saw or met Mikoshiba (An opportunity I'm greatly bitter at that missed during the festival) and even at Regionals; Mikoshiba never came by Iwatobi, when she was there that time cheering alongside Gou. So, she doesn't recognize Mikoshiba in this story~

This is, again, a set-up chapter. It's very short and not a lot happens, but I can promise that the next chapters are much longer and a lot more happens~ I'll try to post the next chapter soon!


	5. This Is Twice Now

! Meant to get this out ealier~ Haven't been home or at my computer in awhile~! Stupid life pfft~ On an unrelated note, I saw THOR 2 tonight and OMG~! It was ridiculously good. Like ridiculously perfect. Anyway...

Warning: I think this chapter has cussing. I'm pretty tired and too lazy to reread through real-quick to confirm, but here's a warning anyway~ Again, my writing isn't trigger-worthy enough, but there's a bit of violence or even some squirm-worthy scene..? IDK, you can judge~

Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of the song this chapter is titled after; I will, however, add that 'This is Twice Now' off of Lydia's album 'Illuminate' is prlly~ my second favorite song; it's good, I strongly suggest a lsiten~!

* * *

This Is Twice Now

* * *

Rin hangs up on Mikoshiba, leaving him with a hell of a lot of questions. Mikoshiba grips his phone, glancing over his shoulder at the current group of students he's with. There's no practice today, which tipped him off that Rin calling him today was something strange. He'd first asked what the hell Mikoshiba though he was doing, which really caught him off guard, but then he'd ask where he was taking Gou.

_Did he know that Mikoshiba had asked her out?_

Sure, she'd said yes, but they hadn't disclosed a location or time yet. Mikoshiba tried to play it off as though he didn't know what Rin was talking about, but then Rin said that Mikoshiba was with Gou right now!

"…I'm back at the school, Rin. What are you talking about? Whose Gou with? Rin, what's going on-?"

But Rin had already hung up on him.

_Shit. _

Where was Gou? And who was she with that Rin thought she was with him?

"Oi, Seijuro! Class is starting!"

Mikoshiba bites his lip, flipping his phone open one last time before following after his classmates.

* * *

"Which way did you see them leave, Chigusa?!"

Chigusa is suddenly frightened. Not just because how scary Rin has become, but because it sounds like Kou might be in danger. She had no idea…

"She went-"

"Rin?!" Nagisa panicked, Chigusa and Rin both turning to see the blonde running up to them with the rest of the swim team in tow.

"We were trying to avoid running into you! …Eh? Where's Gou?"

Rin clenches his fists and Chigusa really has no idea what's going on. These guys knew Rin was coming to pick Gou up? Why didn't Gou know?

"The white-haired bastard…"

Chigusa doesn't understand what's going on. A minute ago, she thought that white-haired boy was Mikoshiba. Judging by the reactions of the boys now, though, she thinks it would be strange should Rin react _this_ bitterly towards his captain.

Nagisa looks genuinely frightened, and Rei and Makoto have a look in their eyes that Hana hasn't seen before. Haru-granted he always looks intense-looks like murder.

Rin is all of them combined.

"Hanamura, please, which way did they go? We have to find Gou!"

"She's in trouble..?" Chigusa mumbles. None of this makes sense to her!

"Chigusa!"

"Th-that way!" Chigusa quickly points. Rin is gone without any further explanation. Before Chigusa can say or do anything, Makoto has gripped her shoulders.

"Hanamura, please, can you fill us in on what you saw?"

"G-Gou was supposed to wait for me, by the gates…But, I saw her leave in tow with a boy. He wasn't wearing our uniform, or Rin's…he had white hair..!"

Rei takes off sprinting after Rin; that's right, he used to be on the track team.

"We'll help you search, Rin!"

Makoto nods to Nagisa and Haru. It's then Chigusa recognizes that Nagisa is holding some bag. Whose birthday is it?

"We're coming, too!" Makoto speaks for the others.

"Ah, I'll help also!" Hana blurts. This isn't her fault but she feels somewhat responsible. She wants to find Gou!

* * *

"Where are we going?!" Gou mutters. He's released her mouth but his grip on her wrist is really hurting. She keeps eyeing the few people they pass on the streets with wide eyes, like a warning, but no one seems to notice.

She thinks about kicking him and getting away, except she keeps hearing him mentioning her brother replay in her mind.

"How do you know my brother? What are you going to do to him?!" _Is Rin ok?_

"You might want to think about yourself, don't you think?" Kent replies coyly, shoving Gou a step ahead of him to hide his grip on her arm from passer-byers.

Gou squirms because it feels like he's going to break her arm, but his words get to her. What _is_ going to happen to her?

How messed up is this kid? To stalk her at her own school, hunt her down and kidnap her practically?

Her bag is still swinging at her hip and she hears the vibrations of her phone. Someone is calling her. She prays Kent can't hear her phone, and she wonders if it's Chigusa calling her to chew her out for not waiting. She wants to reach her other arm around into her bag, to text or call someone, tell one of the boys from the swim team where she's at…

Except, she doesn't know where she is.

She doesn't come this way often. The streets aren't very crowded; it's just apartment complexes and a few empty lots.

Gou tries to yank free but Kent's got a grip on her and he squeezes to suppress her.

"I'd stop that, if I were you. You're hurting my feelings."

"You're hurting me," Gou snaps back.

"Kou," he teases.

It's _Gou_.

* * *

Chigusa gets filled in by Makoto on the way, sprinting after Rei and Rin, who is long gone as far as any of them can see.

She had no idea any of this happened Friday—Gou didn't say anything about this to her!

Gou…

Haru is the first to break off, offering to try a back street. Rei must have gotten impatient because he picks up his speed, sprinting far ahead of the others. Chigusa offers to go one way, to which Makoto warns her to be careful and to call one of them should she recognize Gou or the boy.

Chigusa wonders if they should call the police.

Chigusa has never been to this neighborhood before. They aren't far from the school, and she knows Gou can't be too far ahead of them—her head start on the others wasn't _that_ great. She pulls her phone out, holding it so she can react instantly should Makoto or one of the others call her. She hopes her phone will go off and it'll be Gou, saying she's fine and with the others and for Chigusa to come meet her back at her place or in front of the school. That they can walk home together now.

Chigusa sees an empty lot, just dirt between two buildings with some scattered junk, and a street across from it. A short cut, she thinks. She pulls at her skirt as she runs, hoping it doesn't flap up too much. Then again, she doesn't care about her skirt right now.

She cares about finding Gou.

The second her feet hit the sidewalk again, having crossed the lot, she stops. She looks left, then right, trying to decide which direction to cover that hopefully no one else already is checking.

She freezes when she catches sight of two figures standing at the top of an apartment complex' steps.

It's Gou!

The boy is there, fumbling with his pocket. He's got a hand on Gou's arm, tugging her after him. She's trying to resist, giving him trouble stepping up the stairs, but she isn't calling for help.

Chigusa doesn't understand. Why isn't Gou fighting this creep off more? Gou can handle herself, so why is she..?

Chigusa wants to run over there, but she's scared. He's overpowering Gou; can she really take him on? What can she, little Chigusa, physically do? No, she can't save Gou, and it's the worst feeling but she can do something.

Chigusa flips her phone open.

"…Makoto? I found them! They're…" She glances at street signs, trying to give Makoto directions.

"_Text the location to the others! See if anyone is closer than me!"_

Chigusa doesn't even say goodbye, hanging up on Makoto and sending a mass text. Her fingers have never typed faster.

When she looks up, Gou and the boy are gone. Chigusa didn't see which door they went through.

_Hurry!_ Chigusa thinks, willing someone to show up.

Chigusa becomes impatient, clenching her fists and deciding that no one is going to reach Gou in time! She has to do something—

"Chigusa! Where is Gou?!"

* * *

Gou gets pushed through the doorway, stumbling to keep herself from crashing on her knees. She stumbles, gripping at a chair the moment she falls into the room, her bag sliding from her shoulder in the process. She turns on her heels only to find Kent in her face once again.

She leans back, avoiding him, but she's already got both hands on her wrists again.

"How do you know about-?"

"Rin Matsuoka? Your brother?"

Gou glares, trying not to let Kent see her surprise.

"You don't think rival swim teams doesn't have information gathered on rival opponents and schools? It took me awhile, trying to find the connection of why a pretty girl like you from Iwatobi was at the Samezuka pool practice. When I first saw you, you were talking to some guy from Samezuka. I thought it was your boyfriend, but you two looked so similar. Rin Matsuoka…and Kou Matsuoka?"

Kent steps forward and Gou has to step back. He keeps this up until she finds herself pushed against the wall.

"He's going to beat the crap out of you," Gou warns, but her heart isn't in the threat. Her brother is back at Samezuka right now. He didn't text or call her all weekend. He hasn't said a word to her since Saturday morning. And he's not going to save her now.

Last time, she was lucky. Mikoshiba and the others had been just inside at practice, and Mikoshiba had…

Mikoshiba.

She wishes Mikoshiba would burst through the doors; save her again. There's only one of them this time but Gou's more frightened now than she was before.

Kent presses himself against Gou and slides her arms up, pinning her wrists together with one hand so he can free the other.

He brings this hand to her leg, gripping her thigh and Gou feels the hairs on her body stand on end.

"_Is he_?" Kent challenges.

Gou doesn't know where they are. Is this Kent's apartment? Does he live by himself? No one else is home, no one is expected to be home?

Is anyone in this building? If she screams, will someone hear her? How far away is she from the school, from home? If she manages to break away from Kent, can she make a run for it from here or will he catch her before she can get away?

Gou squirms but Kent grips harder. His hand trails up her waist, settling on her hip momentarily before tugging at her shirt, un-tucking it.

"When is your brother going to beat me up, exactly?"

Kent brings his hand up, clipping off Gou's bowtie before throwing it over his shoulder unceremoniously. She's frozen with fear now, because he's moved in so he's breathing in her face. His voice is low and his eyes are bearing into her skull.

"How about at Nationals? He didn't make those, though, did he?"

Kent's a swimmer, Gou thinks. That was obvious, she realizes though. He was there that day to spy on Mikoshiba. Does that mean he swims in the same events as Mikoshiba? Gou presses her lips together, thinning them. Kent is digging his nails into her, he wants her to cry out or react, but she isn't giving him that satisfaction.

"Why don't we invite him over? I'll have my friends go get him."

That scares her. Her brother is a scary guy and strong; he can take care of himself. And last time, everyone was together and had the element of surprise. But if four guys jumped Rin? Gou won't let that happen.

Kent's hand is back down by her waist and he's tugging at her shirt, now loose. He slips it up her side and she arches her back trying to stop him but this is actually effective in his cause.

He may not be much taller than Nagisa, but he's built like Makoto, which Gou isn't expecting.

Gou tries to thrash him off her but he's quick and a moment later, her shirt is over her head and she's topless with Kent pressed against her.

"Let me g-!" She tries to yell, desperate.

He cuts her off, crashing his lips onto hers.

Gou squirms and fights and tries to bite at Kent, but he's throwing everything he has into this kiss. His breadth is like cigarettes; it's dirty and she wants to gag. His free hand is gripping her side, her ribs, her chest. She tries to bring her knees up but his legs block her and she's so heavily pinned against the wall.

Gou tries shaking her head but he follows her.

His hand rises to her hair and he tugs it free from her pony tail. When he finally releases the kiss, Gou gasping for breath, he smiles victoriously and she's blinking because she will not cry because of this bastard.

"I like your hair down. You're even prettier that way."

Gou finally snaps and head-butts Kent.

That catches him off guard and he falls back. Gou takes the chance, pushing off from the wall and stepping out of being cornered by him.

She only gets one good step away from him before he grips her ankle and she crashes onto the floor.

Just as she brings her elbows under her to push herself up again, to scramble, he leaps haphazardly on top of her, pinning her to the floor on her stomach. There's a thud at the door and Gou tries screaming but Kent's trying to muffle her.

It's then that the door bursts open.

* * *

The first thing Rin notices when he kicks in the door is that the white haired bastard is on top of his sister, pinning her to the floor.

The second is that she's topless.

The third is that bastard's smile and the fourth is Gou's panic.

Rin is gripping the white haired bastard instantly, dragging him off Gou and throwing him into the nearest furniture-a chair- that falls backwards.

Before the creep can react, Rin's on top of him, decking him in the face.

He hits him once, _twice, three times_.

_Four, five, six._

"Rin!"

_Seven, eight, nine-_

"_Rin_!"

Rin stops, breathing heavily and still seeing red. No, he's seeing red because the bastard is bleeding from the nose.

But he's still smiling.

"Bastard-!" Rin raises his fist for the tenth time, but Gou is crying from behind him.

"Rin, please! Let's just go!"

Rin hesitates, his teeth gritting.

"You better get her out of here," the bastard mutters through gurgling blood. His nose is bleeding; it might even be broken. "The girl's pretty shaken."

It's then that Rin finally turns to look back at his sister and sure enough, she's a mess.

Her hair is loose and her eyes are wide and while she looks a wreck he can't help but think she looks far too composed for what just happened. She's clutching her hands to her chest, and when Rin looks, he can't find her shirt around the room.

Rin is still gripping the creep by the collar and slams him down one last time, pinning his fist to the boy's neck.

"Stay the fuck away from my sister!"

The boy just smiles and Rin raises his fist but Gou begs from behind him, "Please! _Rin_…"

Rin pushes off the kid, wanting desperately to kick him a last time in the gut but restraining for Gou's sake. Without taking his eyes off the creep, Rin strips his jacket off, tossing it down to Gou who pulls her hands through the sleeves and zips the jacket up quickly.

In an instant, she grabs her bag that she lost when she first tumbled into the room and runs to Rin's side, gripping the back of his shirt.

He walks backwards, as if still protecting her from the bastard, and doesn't bother shutting the door behind him as he and Gou exit the room.

He makes a mental note of the apartment number and building that this bastard lives at before herding Gou quickly down the stairs.

At the bottom, Hana is waiting for them in tears and screams the second she sees Gou.

* * *

**A/N: **Firstly, thanks to everyone reading and reviewing and following this story! That means a lot to me, but msotly that ya'll are enjoying this story so thank you!

So, yeah, it's Rin's turn to save Gou (I feel bad that she keeps needing to be saved...) But the conflict between Gou and Rin isn't resolved jsut cause he got to her first-Spoiler, but Rin isn't exactly going to react the same way as Mikoshiba did the last time...

Random Facts; Chigusa had another large part in this~ I feel bad that she doesn't run in after Gou and the assaulter immediately, but maybe she thought there'd be others waiting in the apartment (I feel iffy both about why Chigusa couldn't go after them herself, and why Kent managed to basically kidnap Gou in broad daylight and walk her to his place; coming up with legit motives to push the story along in that direction were difficult and I'm sorry it's not convincing; all for the sake of plot, I'm sorry T_T Suspension of Disbelief goes a lnog way for this story~).

Kent's parents are divorced, and his father lives at this apartment complex nearby Iwatobi. Kent stayed there with his buddies for the weekend because it was clsoe to Samezuka, where him and his swim team spied on the competition, Mikoshiba~ His father, like Gou's, is gone for business hence the apartment was empty; THat's my excuse, I'm sticknig to it~

Mikoshiba had a teaser reaction at the beginning of the chapter~ Poor fella! He'll play a much larger role in the next chapter and eveyr one to come~!

Poor Gou~! This whumpage seems a bit too much for just a high school first year! I promsie things will lighten up for her in the next few chapters! I prlly had so much more to say about this chapter, but I'm exhausted so this is it! Sorry!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next one should be up soon!


	6. Your Taste Is My Attention

I was going to wait til tomorrow actually to post this, but I finished my homework and I'm having a rough night, so to counter my bad ngiht I thought maybe this would make someone else's by posting the next chapter~?! Hope you enjoy!

Things get a little steamy..? (But mostly OOC)

Disclaimer: I own nothing~ Chapter title is from Lydia's album 'Illuminate'; another great song, this one; giv eit a listne if you'd like!

* * *

Your Taste Is My Attention

* * *

Chigusa is crying hysterically and immediately wraps Gou in a hug, squeezing the breadth out of her. Away from the apartment, from Kent, Gou feels like she can relax. She's still shaking but she immediately judges herself to be in better condition than Chigusa, who she has to pry apart from.

"Hana, I'm-"

"Are you alright?!" Chigusa blurts, still crying.

Before Gou can say anything, Rin is pushing them both forward.

"We need to keep going. We're going to Haru's."

"Huh? Haru's? Why..?"

But Rin doesn't say anything. He sounds and looks so angry. Is he angry with Gou?

Gou bows her head, trying not to look at him.

Chigusa gets called by Makoto, asking_: where they are, what's happened, is Gou with them?_

("We're fine, yes...yes, we have Gou. We're going to…yes, yes, we're going to Haru's.")

It doesn't go unnoticed to Chigusa that Gou is wearing Rin's jacket. By the look of her form, she's not wearing anything underneath.

Chigusa feels both embarrassed and angry. She keeps blaming herself for not having known—that's it, though. She didn't know.

* * *

Chigusa has never been to Haru's house, but she recognizes it instantly because she notices Rei from her grade and the swim team standing outside it, watching for them.

"Is everyone back already?" Rin asks Rei.

"Waiting on Haru and Makoto, but they said to go ahead and go inside. Nagisa is already inside with Nitori."

Nitori was out looking for Gou, too? Chigusa thinks.

Rin glances at his sister, but doesn't say anything to her. The entire walk here was awkwardly quiet. Gou refused to look up from her feet, and Rin walked ahead of both the girls. Chigusa wanted to just grab her friend's hand, to hug her and shield her, comfort her—something!

She couldn't bring herself to touch Gou.

Like she was fragile.

Chigusa wants to ask why everyone is here, what's this about. They have Gou now, shouldn't they bring her home? But, Rei smiles at the girls and directs them to come on in.

Chigusa wants to scream at him to stop smiling! Gou is hurt, she's damaged, something's wrong!

Gou just nods and walks inside to where Nagisa and Nitori already are.

Chigusa, reluctantly, follows.

Rin stays outside with Rei.

* * *

"Gou!"

Nagisa yells, and for a second Chigusa flinches.

The three of them wait for Gou, in the short silence that follows, to correct Nagisa.

When she doesn't, Nitori quickly speaks up.

"W-we actually had a surprise for you today, Gou!"

"Nitori, you'll ruin it!"

"It's alright. We're all here now," Makoto calls, slipping his shoes off. He's followed by Rei and Haru, and lastly Rin who still won't look at anyone.

"Everyone's here! Great! Then, _Surprise_, Gou!" Nagisa yells, jumping up in a spray of invisible confetti. Rei sighs from beside Makoto.

"It's not a party or anything…"

Haru slips behind everyone into the kitchen, muttering about starting the grill. No one denies that they're hungry, or even argues with the fact Haru is going to make mackerel.

"We also got you this…" Nagisa offers, holding up the bag in his hands that Chigusa had seen earlier.

Gou blinks a few times, still unsure what was going on, looking to Chigusa for some sort of explanation.

Chigusa shakes her head, unsure as well.

Gou looks to Makoto.

"We wanted to do something nice for you…surprise you, for being such a good manager!"

That's a lie, Gou realizes. They'd planned this to counter what happened last week.

And here it'd gone and repeated itself today, in place of this party.

"Open the gift! We all chipped in to buy it!"

Gou smiles, "You didn't have to get me anything!" It's such a forced smile.

Rin can't look at it. He slips into the kitchen after Haru.

Gou pretends not to notice, because that hurts her more than Kent's grip. That Rin won't look at her or talk to her.

She opens the bag and smiles, genuinely this time, because it's a new school bag and it's not ugly, either.

"Makoto picked that one out," Nagisa pouts, still sour that his option had been rejected. He'd thought it was the cutest.

"It's from all of us," Makoto admits.

"I like it a lot! Thank you, Makoto, and everyone." _For more than just the bag_.

Haru steps from inside the kitchen, "Dinner will be done soon. Gou, could you come with me for a second?"

* * *

Gou feels odd, being alone with Haru. He leads her up to his room and she isn't sure what this is about. She can't imagine Haru being the type to give her some dramatic spiel.

He crouches at his dresser and pulls forth some old T-shirt, handing it to Gou.

She quickly shakes her head. She doesn't need his shirt-

"Take it."

Is all he says.

She realizes Rin must have asked this of Haru.

Gou bites her lip but takes the shirt because Haru's expression is unwavering.

Then he stands up and exits the room, allowing her to change.

Alone, Gou realizes she has both bags with her. Before changing into Haru's shirt, she decides to go ahead and change bags.

She moves everything from her old bag to the new one before finally clipping off her penguin charm.

It had trouble, always falling off from her old bag and the bent ring it was on. The new bag was a fresh, perfectly circular ring that the charm hopefully won't fall off of.

Gou smiles at the charm, thinking of Mikoshiba before snapping the charm on.

She unzips her brother's jacket, folding it before throwing Haru's shirt on quickly.

She takes a spare hair tie from her, now new, bag and without a mirror ties her hair up. She rubs her arms, suddenly cold, then straightens up, gathering her two bags and Rin's jacket in her hands.

She grips her brother's jacket and for a moment thinks she's going to cry. She doesn't; she swallows back those tears, straightens herself up, and heads downstairs to everyone else.

* * *

When Gou and Haru disappear, Rei heads to the kitchen. Nagisa and Nitori and Chigusa are all arguing about setting the table, who should sit where and _no, Gou should sit between me, not you two! _Makoto ignores them and sets the table himself.

The Mackerel is simmering, but standing in front of the sink is Rin. He's gripping the edge of it and as Rei rounds up to him, he notices that Rin's knuckles are bloody.

He wonders if any of that is his.

"Bastard has her shirt…" Rin mumbles, and it's the most defeated and angry he's ever sounded, that Rei's ever heard. Rei doesn't say anything and Rin doesn't follow that up with anything either. Rei realizes Rin was giving him some justification for his knuckles, which he realized Rei noticed.

Rei doesn't think Rin needed to justify himself.

And all at once Rin straightens himself up and his anger retreats into his eyes. He turns the faucet and slowly washes the blood form his hands until there's no trace on them. For good measure, he uses Haru's soap by the sink.

A moment later, Haru enters and nods something knowingly to Rin.

Rei doesn't understand what they mean until Gou also returns, wearing a shirt Rei knows to be Haru's. No one says anything or remarks on the sudden wardrobe change. Rei wonders if that makes things more or less awkward.

Rin doesn't say anything and it's clear he's holding back a lot. Rei thinks it's best Rin talks to Gou, and soon, because Chigusa fills him in quickly between washing the dishes after they all eat of how Rin and Gou aren't really talking right now. There's some odd tension between them and Rei doubts it'll end well if they don't confront it.

* * *

The 'party' doesn't last long. Rei keeps chewing Nagisa out for calling it such, to which Nagisa whines _why can't it be a party?_ Makoto finishes setting the table and Haru's mackerel is as good as ever. Everyone complains about quizzes or approaching tests. Nitori mentions how he ran into Mikoshiba earlier today, who _couldn't make it to this because of some after school tutoring lesson, what with seniors' finals approaching_.

Gou tries not to look disappointed hearing that.

Rin says nothing while Chigusa awkwardly and obviously tries her best to ask questions and keep the small talk going so that the conversation never turns towards this afternoon, or Friday afternoon, or anything related to the real reason they're all gathered.

Finally, Gou says the magic words _"I'm tired"_ and all of sudden everyone has excuses to be out of here in under three minutes.

Makoto's parents are calling. Nagisa has a test to study for (study? Gou giggles at that one).

_Rei_ has a test to study for (that one actually is plausible).

Hana hasn't told her parents where she's at—_they might worry_.

Just as Gou is thanking everyone and saying goodbye, Rin appears from behind her.

"I'll walk you home."

Gou just nods. She saw this one coming.

* * *

Rin doesn't say anything, again, during the walk and Gou wants him desperately to do so. It kills her that he doesn't say anything, ask anything. She wouldn't mind if he chewed her out for something, anything.

"Hear from mom yet?"

That's something.

"She'll be back a week from today, next Monday. Earliest flight she could get."

Rin doesn't even nod, so Gou looks at her new bag.

She gave Rin back his jacket, but he doesn't wear it. He just holds it.

She both wants him to and hopes he doesn't ask what happened. What he missed in the few moments it took for him to reach that room. How he threatened to go after Rin, how she lost her shirt, her first kiss…

Gou squirms at the thought. She lost her first kiss to that creep…

To Kent.

It occurs to her that Rin doesn't know his name. None of them do. Except Mikoshiba.

She wants to talk to Mikoshiba so badly. But, he's at tutoring.

And that hurts, too. Knowing that she'd rather talk to Mikoshiba than her own brother.

Gou feels herself shrink away from Rin, like a retreating turtle in its shell. Rin doesn't notice.

Streetlights are on, buzzing with moths flocking around the light. Gou thinks of asking how swim practice is going, but remembers there was none today. She tries thanking Rin for coming to get her after school today, but that doesn't seem right either.

Thank him for the jacket?

She doubts he wants her to mention that. She doesn't want to talk about it, anyway (not with him, she cringes).

Something needs to be said, though. They're almost home.

"Rin-"

"Wait for me afterschool, alright? _Inside_." He emphasizes.

Gou blinks.

He continues, still trying to sound aloof without looking directly at Gou,

"Until mom gets back; I'm walking you home from now-"

"Don't be an idiot!"

Rin blinks, taken aback by his sister's rejection.

"What?"

"You have swim practice! Maybe not today, but every other day this week! I'll be fine—I won't leave Hana's side again! He's not going to bother me-"

"-_Again_? Because we sure all thought he wasn't going to search you out at your school!"

Rin is flaring with anger but Gou tries to ignore that, acting indifferent.

"I'll be prepared next time."

It kills her that there's a possibility of a next time. Or maybe there isn't. Rin beat the message into Kent to stay away from his sister. She hopes Kent doesn't try holding up to his threat of going after Rin. Gou feels guilty for that, but tries not to show it.

"I'll be fine, Rin. I can take care of myself!"

_But you shouldn't have to_, Rin thinks.

Rin just looks away, not arguing. That's a red flag to Gou, but she doesn't want to challenge him.

Now, they're home.

"You better go back. If you hurry, you can catch up to Nitori so you won't have to walk back to Samezuka alone!"

Rin opens his mouth to say something else, but doesn't. Then, he jerks, as if to move in to hug Gou goodbye, but again hesitates. She catches this, quickly smiling to hide her disappointment and turning on her heels.

"Bye, brother!"

He doesn't even say goodbye, because she's already turned the corner to their yard and out of sight.

He sighs, clutching his jacket, and walks back to try to catch up to Nitori.

It's a good thing Rin doesn't walk Gou to the front door because there, sitting on her porch, is Mikoshiba.

* * *

"Mikoshiba?"

The older boy is on his feet the second he hears Gou's voice.

"Are you alright?!"

Gou, perplexed, finally nods.

"Do you want to come inside?"

Mikoshiba looks to be struggling, thinking on it and weighing the option before finally shaking his head.

"Out here is fine. Unless, you'd like to..?"

Gou finds herself shaking her head. She'd actually like to sit outside, she thinks.

She moves to sit down beside him, to which Mikoshiba awkwardly takes a seat back on the porch.

He notices her shirt—it's not her school uniform, and it's not even a girl's shirt. He wonders whose it is.

He got the text from Nitori, who earlier that day had told him about the 'party-not-a-party' the others and he had planned. Mikoshiba couldn't make it, but after Rin's phone call, he'd been worried.

He'd texted Nitori during his class about it, only for Nitori to tell him the others were out looking for Gou.

_Kent._

Nitori hadn't texted anything after that, except when they'd found Gou. Mikoshiba had left class early, sprinting practically the whole way to her house (he had to look up the student directory to find Rin's emergency contact listings).

So he'd been sitting here, waiting, for over an hour for Gou to return. He wondered if she'd appreciate this; if she'd get mad, say she was tired and didn't want to see or talk to him.

To his surprise, she said, "I'm actually glad to see you…"

It was a quiet confession, and as sad as Gou looked, Mikoshiba knew it shouldn't make him happy—but, it did.

He blushed, slowly nodding, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Slowly, Gou nodded.

She brought her knees up to her chest and folded her arms over them, hiding her chin and nose in her arms.

"He threatened to go after Rin."

Mikoshiba straightened at this.

"He _what_?!"

Gou flinched.

"He knew who Rin was…he said he could call up his friends, have them go after Rin."

Mikoshiba recognizes that Gou is starting to shake, but he can't tell if from fear or anger.

"I was so scared…but not for myself! For Rin!"

Mikoshiba tries to smile assuredly. "Rin? He could take care of himself. He didn't get a chance to fight last time, but I bet he could hold his own-"

"He can," Gou whispers, cutting Mikoshiba off. "I saw him…today, when he found us…he pulled Kent off me…"

Mikoshiba's chest rises when she says that. _'pulled him off her'_. He wants to punch something but keeps his fists down. He hears her out.

"He just kept hitting him…I yelled at him to stop. I didn't…I didn't like seeing Rin like that." _That angry._ It was scary, is what she doesn't say. She was afraid of her own brother in that moment.

"At least he knows not to mess with you or Rin," Mikoshiba offers, smiling weakly. He doesn't feel much like smiling now, though.

Gou nods, but she isn't trying to smile. She's still looking at the ground.

"Poor Chigusa…she was so upset…"

"She was worried. Everyone was," _Myself included_, he thinks. He had no idea what was going on. What had happened. He still didn't quite understand.

"He's a swimmer," Gou finally blurts out, but she realizes that Mikoshiba probably already knew that.

Mikoshiba nods like he didn't, but it's more to comfort her than to confirm. She finally looks up at him and her lip starts twitching, threatening to drop into an ugly frown. Her eyes feel heavy, too.

"He…h-he kissed me," she finally admits, and that's what sets off the tears. Mikoshiba tenses up but continues to watch her as she starts to cry.

"He kept grabbing a-at me, and touching me…" her face is burning, "a-and he kissed me. H-he took my shirt," she tries to laugh that off but it isn't funny. It's sick. She's angry at him. She's angry and hurt and scared.

Mikoshiba has waited long enough, he thinks, and quickly pulls Gou towards him. She likes his hugs, she decides, and quickly throws her hands around his waist, crying into his chest for the second time in less than a week.

"He found me at my school! I-I didn't feel safe anywhere, a-and he threatened to go after Rin…h-he knew who Rin was, he kn-knew who I was…"

"Kou…"

Gou shakes her head violently under his chin.

"H-he called me Kou! I-I hated it! I hated the way he said it."

"I'm sorry…Gou," Mikoshiba tries, and Gou's cries soften so he thinks that's okay. He tries it again, quieter,_ softer_. "Gou…" he whispers and her sniffles calm down.

He hugs her closer, tighter, trying to be gentle but also shield her from everything and everyone; from Kent.

Gou rubs at her eyes and nose, leaning back to face Mikoshiba.

It's then that he catches sight of her wrist.

"He did this to you, too?!"

It's hard to see in the dark, but there are clear rings of a bruise on her arm from where he gripped her. Gou hadn't noticed it, and is amazed and relieved Rin hadn't either. Kent would probably be dead.

Mikoshiba is practically fuming, but tries to remain calm for Gou's sake. His hands are shaking, gripping Gou's shoulders and she wonders if he's about to cry.

"Mikoshiba..?"

He looks away. He's not about to cry, but he feels like screaming. Like hunting this bastard down, like-

"Would you kiss me?"

Mikoshiba's body takes a moment to react before all the blood currently pumping through his veins rush to his face.

Gou herself is blushing suddenly at the request, quickly following up, "I-I mean….today, with K-him, I-I lost my f-first…"

He's both blushing and burning with anger. Her first kiss? She lost it to that bastard? _Kent_. He hates that. He hates that they know his name, that she knows his name. He hates that that bastard ever chose to mess with Gou, of all people. He's so infuriated he almost can't enjoy the fact that Gou is asking him to kiss her. To erase the stain that Kent left.

Would she have wanted this under any other circumstance? Would she have ever asked Mikoshiba to kiss her had it not been for Kent?

(He's still not going to thank the bastard)

"Yes."

He answers and she gapes at him, her lips barely parted before he leans in, slowly. He hesitates only to make sure she's sure—he's not going to force himself onto her.

She doesn't retreat, sitting perfectly still with her mouth still parted and waiting, so he closes the gap.

It's a quick and chaste kiss that lasts only a moment, but it sends his mind spinning with happiness and nothing else matters in that moment. He forgets all about this afternoon and about how sick with worry he's felt since the moment Rin called him and how unsatisfying Nitori's texts had been and about how miserable he is to see Gou crying again because of that bastard just when the last time he'd seen her she'd been crying because of him, too.

He doesn't taste like cigarettes, Gou notices.

When Mikoshiba pulls apart, he doesn't retreat far. Their lips come apart but he keeps his forehead against hers and leans into her, his eyes still closed as he breathes in each of her breaths. She's smiling now; he can tell because he hears it in her voice.

"Where were you? The other morning…"

Mikoshiba is smiling, too. How could he not?

"Coach Sasabe woke me up—warned me I should probably move before Rin woke up. I was there the whole night, though," he promises, bringing his hand up to the back of her head.

He really wants to kiss her again.

She must think the same thing because she tilts her head up into him and both his hands find their way to cup her face. This time, he holds her lips a little longer; he deepens the kiss and he pulls her into him.

Her arms wrap around his neck, supporting herself on his shoulders, his muscles.

Now he could die a satisfied man.

This time, when they break apart, she isn't crying anymore.

"Thank you," for more than just the kiss.

_Kisses, _she corrects.

Mikoshiba smiles, nodding the entire time as he leans in for that third kiss without saying anything. She giggles through this one, but doesn't pull away from him. She leans back, her hands tugging at his collar to follow and soon he's laying out across her, their lips still locked.

His arms now support him over her as he slowly lowers himself on top of her. They're still outside, on the porch, and it's so late at night.

Mikoshiba imagines Rin running back, as if sensing his sister being violated in some way, and finding and murdering Mikoshiba. But Mikoshiba would die with a smile on his face and the taste of Gou on his lips.

_Gou_.

He loves that name.

This time, when they pull apart it's for the last time. Gou looks gorgeous under him, Mikoshiba thinks, though his cheeks turn red from the thought and he's quick to sit up.

"I wish you could stay," Gou confesses, quietly before pulling herself up to sit beside Mikoshiba. She leans against his shoulder, both of them looking at the grass before the porch.

"Why don't I?" He teases. He could stay up all night, just watching her.

Gou laughs, and that sound melts him.

One word, "School." Followed by, "And practice. You have Nationals next week."

_Screw nationals_.

"And our date." _Please don't forget about that,_ he thinks.

Gou nods, smiling, "Yep."

It's quiet and Gou pulls, again, her knees to her chest.

"It's late…you probably should head back now."

Mikoshiba just nods. He doesn't want to leave.

But, he stands, and when Gou does, she's taller than him because she's on the porch and he's in the grass. Maybe taller than him isn't quite it—she's his height, actually.

Gou smiles, noticing this, and Mikoshiba laughs because he's not used to seeing anyone on his level.

Taking advantage of this rare opportunity, Gou grips the sides of Mikoshiba's head and bows it before her, kissing the top of his skull like a parent to a child. Mikoshiba laughs, nodding and accepting this as his goodnight kiss.

"I'll see you." Tomorrow, he wants to add. He hopes he sees her every day.

"Mm." Of course.

* * *

**A/N: **Random Facts about this chapter; I like writing from Chigusa because she knows less than the audience; she doesn't get why everyone is going to Haru's or anything; random, anyway...

Also, one of the most cliche-touched-upon elements of a Gou-centric story is the transition from her insisting being called Kou to giving in to being called Gou; I feel a bit bad for covering this, but also _I just had to I'm sorry _haha.

(Hey, look! I wrote some Haru~! Every reader wave at Haru...and~ there goes Haru. I'm sorry, I just cannot write Haru XD)

Rin and Gou tension is awkward now; the party environment might not have been the best, considering they just got back from an abduction, so Rin kinda couldn't pull his sister aside and have a heart-to-heart then and there...And he sorta tries when walking her home..? He did at least offer to walk her home~ That whole conversation is just more miscommunicaiton between the two of them driving a wedge between 'em~

-Which is fine for Mikoshiba! I both love and loathe this confrontation between Mikoshiba and Gou, cause I like to think I did alright on making it cute and fluffy, but at the same time I feel akward for having this happen literally the night of an assault. I tried my best to write it convincingly that Gou isn't just using Mikoshiba as a rebound to erase the crappy afternoon she just had (But in a way, that too) but maybe they're going too fast?; it seems a bit OOC for me because here I was wanting Gou to gradually fall for Mikoshiba, yet look at them already kissing~! So, sorry if some of you find that squicky-quick OOC!

Anyway, there's a lot more that could be said about this chapter and Mikoshiba and Gou's scene alone~ (This chapter runs long because of the party scene and Mikoshiba scene, but I couldn't split the two up cause I liked where the last chapter ended :p) I jsut hope it wasn't too too OOC and that you as readers are alright with how quickly their relationship is kinda spiking..? Sorry!

Anyway, hope you enjoyed, I'll update prlly in the next day or so~!


	7. A Fine Evening For A Rogue

Thank you to eeryone who has favorited or reviewed this! Ya'll seriously have some of the best things to say and I'm glad you're liking the story so far! Hope I can keep it up!

This chapter I hope isn't too boring...

Disclaimer: I own nothing~! Song is from Lydia's album "Iluminate"

* * *

A Fine Evening For a Rogue

* * *

"Gou!"

Chigusa yells from down the side walk.

Gou smiles, waving at her friend. She doesn't bother trying to correct her that _it's Kou._

As she approaches Chigusa, she realizes it's not just Chigusa, but Nagisa as well standing there, waiting for Gou to catch up.

"Nice bag!" Nagisa compliments, winking at Gou. Her steps feel lighter and today feels like a good day. A great day.

"Thank you," she winks back.

She can see Chigusa and Nagisa wash over with relief.

* * *

"Practice today—don't be late!" Mikoshiba claps his hand on Rin's back, knocking him off balance slightly in the hallway.

Rin grimaces, almost snarling at his captain.

"Rin didn't get much sleep last night," Ai mutters when Mikoshiba stops in the hallway to observe Rin brush his shoulder as if Mikoshiba's touch contaminated him. Rin does look worse for ware, and while Mikoshiba understands why, he can't say he feels the same.

"Hm? That's no good…" Mikoshiba voices. Last night wasn't the greatest night.

Well, maybe for Rin it wasn't.

"Why is captain in such a good mood?" Nitori observes, and Mikoshiba winces at the realization that his over-exuberance might tip off Matsuoka on what happened last night.

"I, ah, just had a really good sleep!"

"Eh? Was it because of a girl?" Ai teases.

Rin suddenly is attentive to the exchange of words and Mikoshiba can't help himself; he has to tease his teammate. He knows he shouldn't be so insensitive, considering all that's happened, but he really can't help himself.

"Mm! I dreamed of Gou last night-"

"_Bastard_!"

"Don't be late for practice, you two!"

"_Mikoshiba_! Get back here-!"

* * *

Throughout the day, Gou finds herself never alone, even for a moment.

Chigusa clings to her arm, following her between classes and to the bathroom. At lunch, when Chigusa splits away for a moment to get a drink, Gou is immediately met by Rei. Anytime throughout the day that Gou isn't with Chigusa, one of the swim club members seems to rotate by her side in place.

Like they're taking shifts being with her.

That afternoon, after school, the Iwatobi swim team meets for an impromptu swim practice. Their season is over, but Haru has been physically wilting without water and Makoto declares they could use a good practice to swim off some steam.

It's a grueling practice, with each boy giving it their all. Gou times them and Miss Amakata even sets out snacks for the boys. When they finally decide to call it a day, Gou feels drained all the same and decides to go straight home and nap.

She checks her phone, half expecting Rin to have texted her. Wouldn't you think he would?

_[No new messages.]_

Oh_._

* * *

Gou isn't that surprised when Makoto approaches her from outside the club house, casually asking if she'll allow him to walk her home.

She is a bit surprised to find Chigusa sitting just outside the school doors, waiting for her, also offering to walk home with them.

She's annoyed when Miss Amakata's van pulls up along in front of them and she offers all of them a ride home.

When she gets home, not a minute later Chigusa texts her asking if she made it into her house alright.

Gou almost texts her friend back that she'd _seen _her enter her house, but bites back that remark and simply replies [_yes_].

She's too tired to start on her homework, so she sets an alarm for a nap and allows herself to doze off for a moment.

She imagines the boys, swimming with exposed muscles and setting new personal bests, and of Miss Amakata's homemade snacks.

She dreams of Mikoshiba, holding her, and then the kiss. And the second, and the third…

And she dreams of Kent. Pinning her, gripping her, kissing her—

Gou's eyes shoot open and she sets a hand on her chest, trying to settle it. She's suddenly aware of a buzzing. She assumes it's her alarm, but upon checking her phone finds it to be a message.

No doubt Chigusa checking in on her once an hour. It for sure won't be Rin.

It's Mikoshiba.

[_Finishing practice now. How about Friday for that date? __]_

Gou is still pushing the nightmare from her thoughts, smiling as she texts Mikoshiba back.

[_Sure!]_

* * *

At the sound of his phone's alert, Mikoshiba snaps his phone open. He can't stop the grin that plasters on his face the moment he reads Gou's text.

"Captain must have had a really good dream," Nitori mutters from beside him. Mikoshiba laughs nervously, shutting his phone and tossing his towel aside. He needs to change and get to studying soon.

Matsuoka is beside Nitori, studying Mikoshiba closely with an irritated glint in his eyes.

"You really have been happier today…what _really _happened?"

Mikoshiba really shouldn't, but he winks at Rin, "I told you. I had a great dream! And it just keeps getting better-!"

"_Mikoshiba_!"

"That's _captain_ Mikoshiba! Now, now, Matsuoka—you wouldn't come between a man and his destiny, would you?"

"Captain, you shouldn't tease Rin…"

"_My sister_ is not _your_ destiny, bastard!"

* * *

The next day is much the same. Gou wakes up to a text from Mikoshiba, already wishing her good morning. She notices it was sent an hour before she woke up, which she assumes means he sent before his own morning swim practice.

(Mikoshiba spends that entire practice worrying that Gou got his text, read it, and found him irritating somehow and refuses to text back. When he returns to his locker and phone after practice, only then does he receive her text claiming that she was [_still asleep, sorry, but good morning to you, too!] _He chastises himself for jumping to such an ill conclusion. Who in their right mind is up at 6 in the morning?)

Gou sneaks in a few texts between classes, which she's both ashamed of and excited for. Chigusa hisses at her to put her phone away before their teacher catches her, and only then does Gou set it away in her bag.

She's not used to texting this much.

It only ever was her one sided texts to Rin, and the occasional reminder about practice to the boys.

At lunch, Gou doesn't even eat half of her packed meal because she's too busy rapidly replying to Mikoshiba's texts.

"Who do you keep texting?!" Chigusa demands, upset from being ignored all lunch.

Gou blushes, setting her phone aside to snap her chopsticks apart.

"A friend…"

Chigusa pulls a look that clearly calls Gou out on trying to get away with just saying 'a friend'. Gou shrugs but Chigusa squirms closer to her until Gou gives.

"Mikoshiba, _alright_!"

Hana squeals and Gou sighs, knowing exactly why she didn't outright say his name to begin with.

"What's happening?! Gou has herself a boyfriend?!"

"I-it's not like that!"

"When's your date?"

Gou shrugs, pretending not to know. She'd normally like to talk to Chigusa about this kind of thing—about Mikoshiba and her upcoming date and how she feels giddy about it all. Except she also feels guilty.

Guilty that this relationship is building out of this whole Kent ordeal and how, while she's glad she's becoming closer with Mikoshiba, she feels herself suddenly becoming more distant from Rin, which is eating away at her (not to mention now how she feels herself pulling away from Chigusa, her closest friend).

That thought sets Gou straight and she decides to correct herself, blurting, "But I think we're looking at Friday."

Chigusa smiles between bites, genuinely happy for Gou, at that's a relief.

Gou still won't tell Chigusa about how she saw Mikoshiba the other night, after the party. Or about how he kissed her.

She hasn't even told Chigusa about how Kent kissed her.

* * *

"Get ready for warm-up! It's a land drill! Don't change out of your sweats!" Mikoshiba calls throughout the locker room. Rin watches him closely. He's still grinning like an idiot-more so than yesterday, if that was possible.

"Have you spoken to Gou yet?" Nitori suddenly asks Rin, which catches him off guard.

"Eh? N-no…"

To his surprise, Nitori frowns at him, concerned.

"Rin. You haven't spoken once to Gou since Monday night?"

Rin shrugs.

"_Rin_."

"Ai," Rin warns. But, Nitori is right.

He doesn't know why he's avoiding talking to Gou. He's worried about her, sure, but she seems to be doing alright. Makoto texts him an update every afternoon, after he walks Gou home. No one's called telling him that she's in trouble or that white haired bastard is back.

(Rin doesn't even know his name. He never asked Gou if even she knows)

Gou still doesn't text him in the morning. Did he loose that privilege? Did he have too many strikes against him from never replying to her that he's lost that forever? She'll never text him again?

He'd said last week that he preferred it this way, without her always texting him, but it's starting to get to him now.

The gloom sets in and he physically looks worse off, so Ai starts to panic.

"I-I'm sure Gou isn't still mad at you or anything! She's probably just got a lot on her mind, or-"

"She has every right to be mad at me."

Rin slams his locker shut, balling his hand into a fist.

"I wasn't there for until…when it counted…" He mutters, half to Nitori but mostly to himself.

"Y-you were there for her the other day! You saved her -"

"-No." Rin counters, but he doesn't explain further.

In his head, all he can think about is how Mikoshiba got to Gou that first time. How she pushed _him_ away because she thought _he_ was another one of those thugs.

("That was a misunderstanding-she didn't see who she ran into!" He can hear Nitori countering.)

He thinks of how frightened Chigusa was when she realized what was happening and why it wasn't a good thing that Gou had walked away with that boy. And he thinks of finding Gou in that state, with that bastard on her. And the fear in Gou's eyes, not only when he found her, but when he looked at her after beating the crap out of the creep.

And how even now, Gou _still_ won't text him.

("Text her first, then!" Nitori whines in his head.)

Rin's phone is sitting at the top of his gym bag, and he contemplates taking it out.

He could just reach inside, find Gou's number, and simply text her [_Hi_]. Like he should have the day before yesterday. Like he should have Saturday, or a week ago, or when he was still in Australia.

He reaches for his bag.

"Let's go! One lap around the school! C'mon, Matsuoka! Nitori!"

Rin flinches but draws his hand back.

He'll text her when he gets back.

* * *

"But good luck today out there!" Amakata waves, locking her classroom door behind her as Rei nods. Miss Amakata doesn't say exactly what she has going on today that she can't make it to practice, but he notices she's wearing perfume and he wonders if she has a date tonight.

Rei runs into Chigusa and Gou on his way to the pool.

"Heading to practice?"

"Mm!"

"Miss Amakata won't be able to make it, she just told me."

"Oh really?"

"Oh! Did she just leave?"

"Mm. Why?"

Gou pouts, "I left the water bottles in her classroom yesterday, when I was helping her carry in the snack boxes." _What kind of manager doesn't properly put up the water bottles?_ Gou frowns.

"Ah, it'll be fine-"

"No, I'll pick some drinks up at the vending machine! You guys work hard, so the least I can do is support you all!"

Chigusa pipes up immediately offering to go help Gou bring in drinks. Gou saw that one coming. Rei just nods, grateful, before separating from the two. Gou tells him to have Makoto start practice without her, she'll be back soon.

Rei wonders why Gou has suddenly been much livelier the past couple of days. He wonders if the party had anything to do with it, he thinks proudly to himself.

* * *

Walking, Gou decides to fill the silence by confessing to Chigusa about the other night.

"Hana, I have something I want to tell you…"

"Mm?" Chigusa whips around to face Gou.

"It's about the other night…"

Chigusa's face seems to freeze somewhere between anticipation and dread, like she isn't sure if Gou is opening up about the white-haired boy or not. She assumes as much, because as far as she's concerned, that's the only thing Gou has to confess about.

"I saw Mikoshiba that night."

"Eh?!"

They've reached the vending machines now, but before Gou can say anything else she's scowling in disappointment.

"'_Out of order'_?!" Gou reads, crossing her arms.

"Do you think there are some extra water bottles in the club house?"

Gou shakes her head. Those were the only ones they could afford.

"There's a convenience store just up the street. We could run there and back—the boys should be fine for a little longer!"

Chigusa doesn't argue because this will just give them a longer opportunity for Gou to tell her all about Mikoshiba.

Outside, Chigusa quickly asks, unable to contain her curiosity, "So?! When did you see him?"

Gou blushes, scratching at her temple and avoiding looking at Chigusa, "…he was at my house."

Chigusa snickers. "Did Rin see him?"

Gou shrinks, "no."

Chigusa makes a noise, suddenly intrigued by the drama playing out. "Gou! What happened?! Why was he there?"

"Just checking on me," Gou shrugs.

This Mikoshiba really cares a lot about Gou, Chigusa decides.

"Gou?"

Gou freezes, because there's no way this is happening again.

Chigusa turns around before Gou does, confused at who has followed them. Gou confirms who it is by seeing the look of terror reflected in her friend's eyes.

"Gou…Kou, can we talk?"

Gou still doesn't turn around.

It's Kent.

And he's here. He has the nerve to once again show up at her school-

Chigusa steps suddenly between the two, though Gou doesn't turn around to see her throw her hands out.

"St-stay away from Gou!"

"I-I came to talk. Will you talk to me?" He asks, talking right through Chigusa.

_Like hell!_ Gou thinks, still refusing to turn around. Slowly, she begins reaching into her bag. Where's her phone?!

"Please…I just want to talk."

It's now that Gou looks over her shoulder, turning slowly as if any sudden movements will startle him into violent action.

Kent doesn't look how Gou remembers him. The white haired boy from her nightmares with lit eyes and a wicked smile.

He seems dull. He looks genuinely apologetic, and while she won't let her guard down, she does feel a lurch of pity for him suddenly.

_Like hell she should pity him!_ What he did was wrong and the moment she finds her phone…

"May we talk?"

_Good grammar and a softer tone won't reward you her forgiveness,_ she thinks, but she stops blindly reaching into her bag.

"I don't have anything to say to you."

"I do. Will you hear me out? Please?"

Gou frowns. She hates that she's listening to him right now!

"Gou." Chigusa warns, and she's worried.

"Could we go somewhere?" That flares her up again, "-public! I'll let you choose where. We can go where there are people. You don't have to walk by me even; ten paces in front!" He throws his hands up like it's a joke but she thinks ten paces isn't enough.

Chigusa shakes her head, "No way is she going with you, _creep_!"

"What do you have to say to me?" Gou ignores Chigusa.

"Sit down with me and hear me out."

Gou doesn't trust him, but against her better judgment, she slowly nods once. She is prepared for him to jump them at any moment, but she'd rather Chigusa wasn't in the middle of it.

"I choose where we go?"

"_Gou?!"_

"You lead," he offers.

"No. You walk in front. I'll tell you where to go."

He nods, "Fair enough."

Chigusa looks horrified.

"Gou-"

"Go ahead back to practice, Hana," Gou offers, but Chigusa looks questioningly at her. Is this really alright?

Gou tries to smile, "I'll be fine."

Chigusa doesn't believe her.

Chigusa knows she'll tell the swim team the moment she's there, but Gou sees this too and leans in to mutter quiet enough so Kent doesn't hear, "Don't tell the boys."

"Gou!" Chigusa hisses. She can't-

"Hana. Please."

Chigusa pouts, and she almost looks ready to cry but slowly nods.

"I hope you know what you're doing…"

Gou smiles reassuringly, "I do."

She doesn't.

"Where to?" Kent asks, drawing attention back to the present; to him.

"The café just at the corner. Start walking."

* * *

Gou follows Kent, leaving Hana standing there, still waiting on Gou to tell her the story of what happened the other night with Mikoshiba.

Chigusa is fast walking back to the pool, phone in hand. She's forgotten completely about the drinks. She keeps thinking of how stupid Gou is, going with him alone! How can she trust him?! What if he grabs her the second the streets are clear and drags her away with him? _Again?!_

Gou made her promise not to tell the swim club. Chigusa knows that's a bad idea; they're the closest and would reach her the quickest in time.

But, she doesn't want to go back on her promise.

So, she calls the next best person.

The person Gou didn't make Chigusa promise not to call.

"_Hello?"_

"Rin. Get here now—Gou is with _him."_

* * *

**A/N**: Random facts: I felt a little bad having Mikoshiba joke about Rin's sister; maybe not the greatest timing, but I also felt like Mikoshiba was becoming OOC; he hasn't been happy enough I think in this story~ At the moment, the tension between Rin and Mikoshiba isn't too noticably bad, but it's gonna get heated-especially with Gou involved~

This chapter seems so domestic, kinda boring in the beginning..."So this day went like this, and the text was this_" Sorry...

I do love Chigusa and Gou's relationship though. The show doesn't show because it isn't so much about female friendships, so I liked showing that side between these two. Originally Gou just keeps everything to herself and doesn't tell Chigusa anything, but I realized Gou is too nice and prlly really close to Chigusa, so why sacrifice their relationship for more angst? I thought how would I talk to my friends...

I feel kinda bad, putting so much emphasis on how little I like OCs and then reacurringly bringing Kent back pretty much every other chapter. I just like the drama that centers around him~ And for the reviewer who borught it up (But I can't remember who it was at the top of my head, sorry!) on Kent-redemption, considering he shows up this much, I can't say this story is going to end and Kent will leave a good taste in your mouth, but I'll say this much for the OC-he's not about to kidnap and force himself onto Gou again (Not that the others don't know that...)

This conversation, much like with Chigusa not going in after Gou herself, doesn't sit too convincingly on me. I tried to make it seem important to Gou that she have this one on one with Kent-yes, he's messed up and has hurt her but Gou seems nice enough and I feel like she'd try to find the ebst in anyone, so she wants to give him this chance, so long as she feels safe, to talk to her, whetehr she likes what he has to say or not. She doesn't want Chigusa to tell the swim team cause they're a bunch of misfits, you know them, and again she's giving Kent this uninterupted chance. So, maybe it's not smart of Gou to make Chigusa not tell the boys, but maybe she knows Chigusa will and is just trying to buy Kent enough time to say what he needs to enough to let Gou decide whetehr 'wow, no, he's a jerk' or '...' no, pretty sure her mind is settled with 'wow he's a jerk' :p Also, Gou agreeing to go alone with Kent is her trying to get Chigusa away from him-she's trying to kinda protect Chiguds, too, I think~ (Suspension of Disbelief goes so far~)

So, more drama cause this story is gonna drag out like that~ I can say Kent won't be in _every _chapter to come; in fact, next chapter is his last for a while (Everyone rejoice~) But. In place of Kent will be tension between Mikoshiba and Rin that escalates quickly, especially in the next chapter; more fluffy SeiGou; more distant-and-angsty Matsuoka siblings and~ next to none Haru~ (Oh gosh, I do love Haru haha I just cannot write him.)

Sorry this A/N was so long! Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing! This chapter was a set-up chapter (Every other chapter seems to be this way; I promise the mold breaks with the next couple of chapters!) Hey, look, halfway done with the story~ (You're probably thinking 'there's more?! D:') I'll post next chapter soon!


	8. Now the One You Once Loved Is Leaving

So, I like this chapter cause to me half of the imagery maed me laugh...Maybe I'm just one of those people that laughs at my own jokes though~ Hope you enjoy this update!

Disclaimer: I own nothing~ This song, BTW, is my absolute favorite Lydia song of all time...and the song that got me into them...and totally just worth a listne to~

Warning: F-bomb, maybe a few times..? At least once, I don't remember, just be warned!

* * *

Now the One You Once Loved Is Leaving

* * *

Back from their warm-up jog, Rin drags his gym bag from the locker room into the gymnasium, along with the rest of the team. He sets in down, sitting beside the bag to stretch a final time before getting into the water. He slips off his tennis shoes and socks, and jacket, just as Nitori joins him, taking a seat beside him.

"Well?!" Nitori asks, trying his best to glare at Rin. Nitori doesn't have an angry-looking face at all and Rin finds it actually humorous—he'd laugh if he didn't think that Nitori was right.

"Alright, alright…I'll text Gou!" Rin mutters, driving his hand into his bag for his phone.

He's blindly trying to reach for it, wondering where it's fallen to within his bag when it suddenly starts to vibrate, giving away its position. Maybe that's Gou!

After two vibrates, Rin realizes it's not a text message but a call.

That's not necessarily a good sign, but he can't automatically assume it's a bad one either.

He checks caller ID; it's Chigusa.

That's a bad sign.

"Hello?"

"_Rin. Get here now—Gou is with _him_."_

Rin physically pales.

"Where?"

"_He was outside the school again. This time, he asked her to go somewhere with him. To talk-"_

"Why didn't you stop her?!" Rin barks.

"Rin?!" Nitori asks, suddenly worried by the sound of the one side of the conversation he's catching.

"_I-I'm sorry!"_ Chigusa apologizes. Rin sighs; it's not really her fault.

"No, I'm sorry," he grimaces, "But Chigusa. Where are they now?"

"_A-a café, just up the road from the school-"_

Rin knows the place, luckily.

"I'm on my way."

Rin hangs up without asking Chigusa if the others are there or if she's certain Gou will be there. He makes a mental reminder of the apartment building and number to run to should Gou and the bastard not be where Chigusa says they are.

Rin throws his tennis shoes on without socks and pockets his phone.

"Oi, Matsuoka, where do you think you're going? Practice is about to start!"

Rin flinches.

"I have to go."

"Oi! Matsuoka-"

"It's an emergency!" Rin snaps, looking back at Mikoshiba, hoping he'll understand what that means. _All too well_, apparently.

Mikoshiba is in front of Rin in an instant, gripping his arm to prevent him from leaving without an explanation.

"Is it Gou?! What's happening?"

Rin pushes aside the fact that he's not comfortable with how concerned Mikoshiba sounds in that moment. His eyes are as on fire as Rin feels, and the surge of concern his face tenses with should make Rin uncomfortable, though he's too worried for Gou to make note of Mikoshiba's emotional investment at the moment.

"She's with _him_." Rin growls, low so the rest of the team won't hear.

Mikoshiba's eyes flash for a moment before he's tugging Rin forward.

"Let's go."

"C-captain Mikoshiba!" Nitori urges, still stretching from the ground. Several other team members are staring at the scene that is Rin and Mikoshiba. Some haven't changed out of their running sweats while others are stripped down, barefoot and in speedos.

"You're the _captain_, idiot," Rin mutters, as if Mikoshiba has forgotten. He can't just ditch practice. Rin will handle this, _mind your own business_, he thinks.

Mikoshiba looks torn between the two responsibilities before clapping his hands together, summoning the attention of the team.

"Right! Everyone get up! We're doing another dry drill!"

"_Ehh?!"_

"Come on! Don't worry about clothes or shoes. Get up, we're going now! Distance run!"

Several outcries of "Captain?" followed, but Mikoshiba had already started his pace, jogging from the gym. He didn't have shoes or a shirt, and Rin watched dumbfounded after his captain for a moment, perplexed at what he was honestly doing, until Mikoshiba called back, "Matsuoka! You're leading the run! Set the pace and lead us!"

Rin would've argued this was unnecessary, but he wanted to reach Gou first. A confrontation with his captain could wait.

* * *

The café is a quaint little shop just up the road from the school. Gou has been here a few times with Chigusa. The pastries are good, as are some of the drinks; though, the fruit is notably never any fresher than cafeteria fruit selections and the bathrooms aren't very clean.

Gou chooses a table in the center of the café, directly under a light. She sits opposite of Kent, with her back to the door. The tension between them is thick and the hair on the back of Gou's neck stands on end. Her fists are so clenched that her nails are digging into her palms, but she ignores the pain and stares directly at Kent.

Kent tries to smile at her but she just glares, warning him.

"I won't stay long. Say what you have to and then I'm leaving."

"Then I'll start," Kent nods.

He looks at his lap. His pale hair isn't very long; it doesn't cast a shadow over his eyes, even when he looks down, and Gou can still make out the pale color of them. His nose looks a little crooked; did Rin break it?

His hands are on the table, fidgeting.

"I'm sorry."

"I don't accept." Gou snaps with no regret.

He cringes at this, but he's still smiling. Gou can't imagine him with a truly apologetic face. On some people, it's endearing to always smile. Mikoshiba has one of those faces.

On Kent, it's disturbing.

"I shouldn't…I shouldn't have done what I did to you…"

That's right, Gou agrees.

"What I did was wrong…" He recites, like he's reading from some list, some order, of the phrases to say when apologizing when you don't mean it.

"I-"

"-I've heard enough." Gou cuts him off. She feels her chest swell because they aren't finished, but she's done listening.

"I lied. I do have something to say to you. And, I'm going to speak now." She inhales, gathering her courage.

"I'll forgive you for assaulting me," she decides. "I'll forgive you for physically hurting and approaching me, but I _won't _forgive you for blackmailing going after my brother to get to me.

I won't forgive you for causing that fight with my friends, or for instigating my brother into hurting you, though you deserved it! And I won't forgive you for making Hanamura cry! You upset me, and I can forgive you for that, but I cannot forgive you for upsetting Tachibana, or Nanase or Rei or Nagisa! And Mikoshiba! _And_ my brother!" She doesn't mention Miss Amakata or Coach Sasabe, but in her head she adds them, too. She just thinks that's enough names for Kent to mull over.

Gou's voice has risen but she doesn't care if other customers are looking at the two of them, or what kind of ideas they're forming watching the pair of them. She's only looking at Kent, making sure he understands her perfectly.

Kent watches her lecture him with wide eyes; his smile had faded a little, but now it's returned, except not so severely, so harshly, as she's used to seeing. He bows his head, nodding slowly.

"You're remarkable…I certainly picked one with you, huh, Kou?"

Gou flinches but doesn't say anything. She's still waiting for him to agree to her terms.

"Is it Kou? Or Gou? I heard that girl-" he starts to explain.

"_You_ call me Kou." She defines for him.

He nods, "alright then, Kou."

It grows quiet between them before Kent finally lifts his head, except he doesn't look at Gou. He looks at his hands, which he can't quite seem to decide if they're better staying on top of the table or down in his lap.

"I am sorry…" he starts, but shakes his head, "No, that's not enough. You said you forgive me? You shouldn't…you really shouldn't. I'm fucked up—look how I hurt you. I saw you…you were so pretty. I had to have you."

Gou feels like she swallowed something sour but keeps her face straight, keeps her eyes on Kent.

Is it strange that they're in this café, and haven't ordered anything? She hopes the staff doesn't get mad at her. She likes this spot. She and Chigusa come here so often. She should bring the team here. Maybe Mikoshiba and her should come here Friday?

"You shouldn't forgive me. And I understand, I really do, how mad you are at me, for making your friends worry. You have good friends," at this, he does look up at her, smirking, "Some of them have a good arm, too, to boot."

Gou straightens proudly at this.

"You'd know," she counters.

He rubs his jaw like it's still sore, nodding.

"The other day, I came after you because…it wasn't enough. I had to have you—I had to kiss you. Th-that's _all_ I wanted! Was one kiss…"

Gou doubts that but doesn't voice as much.

"And when your brother took you away, I realized…I realized I didn't want you like that. Terrified; forcefully. That's not…"

"Then you should have tried to get to know me first!" Gou suddenly yells, irritated. "You don't just grab a girl, force yourself on her! Have your buddies hold her against her will!? You ask her on a date, you get to know her. Learn what she likes, share to her what you like!"

Kent sighs, "I suppose it's too late to ask you on a date now, then, huh?"

Gou wants to tell him 'it's never too late' because in all honesty she is beginning to feel bad for him. She wasn't sure she meant it before when she said she'd forgive him, except now she thinks she really could.

But she could never date him. No, she could never go on a date with him.

Besides, she has someone else in…

"_Gou_! Gou, get away from him!"

Gou jumps at the sound of someone shouting her name, both herself and Kent whipping around to watch the captain of the Samezuka swim team come crashing through the glass door. Even more so surprisingly is that behind him trails the entirety of the Samezuka swim team, mismatched-ly dressed if dressed at all.

"Mikoshiba..?"

* * *

Hana bites her lip the whole way back to the pool. She'd dragged her feet the entire way there, trying to walk as slow as she could.

She was praying Rin got to Gou in time. She didn't trust this white-haired fellow. Why'd he have to keep bothering Gou? _Leave Gou alone! Find someone else to creep on!_

Gou rounded the clubhouse, the swim team coming into view. Rei was clinging to the floating device he always had. Nagisa was splashing nearby, causing a raucous and irritating Rei who repeatedly shouted his need to adjust his goggles no thanks to Nagisa's antics. Haru must be underwater, for Chigusa didn't see him anywhere, while Makoto was the only one presently out of the pool with a clipboard in hand-Gou's clipboard.

"Oh, Chigusa! Huh? Where's Gou?"

Chigusa squirmed nervously. She'd promised Gou she wouldn't tell the boys…

"She…had something to take care of…"

"And the drinks?" Rei asks. Chigusa flinches. She'd forgotten about those.

"Ah, no worries!" Makoto offers, waving it off.

Nagisa, however, cries, "No drinks? This practice is terrible…"

"Maybe if you were actually practicing instead of playing like a kiddy pool!" Makoto pouted back.

Chigusa normally would have laughed at Nagisa's expression, but her mind remained on Gou. Was she really okay? Rin, please, get there…

"Where is Gou again?" Rei suddenly asks and Chigusa physically shies away from him and his question.

Haru has emerged, sure enough from under water.

"Chigusa..?" Nagisa swims to the edge of the pool, throwing his arms up over the side.

All their eyes are on Chigusa now and she feels her will weaken.

Makoto has dropped the clipboard to his side, his smile faded, "Chigusa. Where is Gou?"

_Sorry, Gou!_

"She went with the white haired boy! He was here, _again_, and wanted to talk with her so she took him to the café up the street-!"

All three boys were out of the pool as fast as Haru can strip. Makoto was already past the pool gate by the time Chigusa even thought to look for him.

* * *

Nitori is running in his swim trunks and open jacket. Beside him, another fellow freshman has one shoe on and no shirt.

A second year behind them is only in a speedo, and his friend beside him is fully dressed, with tennis shoes and socks and a shirt and shorts.

Rin has on his shoes and a shirt and sweat bottoms.

Mikoshiba is running in bottom sweats only, though, unlike the barefoot second year, isn't making one complaint about it.

Nitori tries to keep up in pace with Rin, wanting to beside his friend, but he's practically sprinting in the road towards Iwatobi. Mikoshiba is just the same, only a step behind Rin as the younger swimmer leads.

Several members of the swim team are falling behind, complaining and shouting as to where exactly is their destination—we're so far from the school, why are we running this way, why aren't we having swim practice?

These complaints fall on deaf ears; Mikoshiba is only looking forward, saying nothing.

And once they turn on the street where Iwatobi is, Mikoshiba breaks off into a full sprint that no one knew he had the energy for, Rin included.

He sees his target, the café, and is gone, far ahead of the others.

Rin tries to catch up, but even he is left somewhat in the dust. Others begin to jog it off, slowing their momentum because _this is ridiculous_, but Nitori picks up his pace the best he can. He understands what's happening; Gou is in trouble, and Mikoshiba wants to be there for her.

But so does Rin.

Nitori wonders when exactly that confrontation is going to take place.

* * *

And the moment Mikoshiba can make out Gou's figure through the window, he's forgotten completely about his team and slams into the glass door, throwing himself inside the café, "_Gou_! Gou get away from him-"

Except a waitress steps in his way, angrily pointing her finger towards a sign at the window.

'No shoes, no shirt, no service!'

Mikoshiba tries looking over her, but a fellow waiter has come to her assistance so Mikoshiba sighs, throwing his hands up in surrender before whipping his head back towards the door.

It's by now that his team has caught up to him, cramming in the doorway to look inside.

Mikoshiba quickly scans the crowd before eyeing two freshmen.

"You! And _you_, there! Give me your shoes, and _you_ give me your shirt!"

The freshmen gawk at him.

"I'm your captain, do as I say!"

Without protest, Mikoshiba is tossed two shoes and a shirt, which he quickly throws on before presenting himself mockingly before the waitress, awaiting her approval.

Hesitantly, she nods.

"May I ask how big is your party-_hey_!"

Mikoshiba pushes straight past her. All eyes within the café are on him, but his are only on Gou.

Mikoshiba already is on thin ice with the café, but this café and its staff and customers be damned as he lifts Kent by the collar from his seat, pointing a finger defensively in the boy's face.

"You stay the hell away from Gou, or did we not make that clear _both_ times we kicked your ass?"

"Mikoshiba," Gou warns.

"Hold on, Gou. This guy just doesn't know when to quit! You think 'cause we haven't called the police on your ass yet that we won't? You keep trying to mess with Gou and-"

"_Mikoshiba_!"

"-they won't ever find your body! I'll swim to the bottom of the ocean and chain your remains there _myself_-!"

"Seijuro!"

That shuts him up. He's never heard Gou call him by his first name and had the circumstances been any different, he'd have melted right there and then. He pulls his eyes off Kent for the first time and Gou looks flustered, blushing but holding her ground.

Everyone in the café is quiet, watching the trio.

"Kent wanted to talk to me. I came with him willingly, to hear him out. And he's heard me out. I forgave him-"

"You _did_?!"

Mikoshiba hears himself echo from back at the entrance of the café and realizes Rin is standing there, but he isn't stepping forward. Does Gou even realize her brother is here too?

Gou nods slowly, her eyes still on Mikoshiba. Guess not.

"I did. He won't bother me anymore. Any of _us_," she emphasizes and Mikoshiba understands.

Slowly, Mikoshiba releases Kent's shirt, stepping beside Gou.

"Good." He nods. "I'm…glad ya'll came to that agreement."

Kent, for the first time since being threatened, smiles, glancing between Gou and Mikoshiba.

"So you're Mikoshiba?"

"I am," Mikoshiba declares defensively, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kent shakes his head, chuckling to himself, "I should've, I should've…" he mutters, before glancing to Gou and motioning to Mikoshiba with a nod, "-he did?"

She seems to understand because she nods slowly.

Kent nods, too, and then turns to leave, stopping only to give parting words to Gou, "I meant it. I am sorry, and I wish I'd gone about things differently."

Gou can't say things would have turned out differently. She'll never know.

"Mikoshiba, huh? I'll be seeing you."

Mikoshiba still hates the bastard, but he smiles at the thought of a challenge involving swimming, clean and simple.

"Aye."

The Samezuka swim team parts like the tide when Kent reaches the door, though he stops in front of Rin, "the brother," nods, then leaves.

Mikoshiba inhales a deep breath before exhaling, shaking his head, and turning to face Gou.

"You scared the hell out of us!"

"_us_?"

"-Don't go anywhere with that guy by yourself again, alright?!"

"_That's my line_."

Gou and Mikoshiba both cringe as Rin steps forward.

"Brother..?"

"We need to talk." Rin is fuming.

"Oi, it's over now, Matsuoka. Gou doesn't need any more lectures-"

"You stay out of this! Actually, why are you involved anyway?" Rin angrily throws his attention to Mikoshiba. "What are your intentions towards my sister?!"

"Intentions," Mikoshiba muses.

Then, he smiles, "We're dating."

* * *

**A/N: **One of the earliest scenes of this story I'd imagined was of Mikoshiba being racing after to save Gou, but cause of his captain responsibilities, has to have the team follow him, and the funniest thing to me was the image of Mikoshiba and this half-dressed team running into a place only to be told no shoes, no shirt, no service so he starts demanding clothes off freshmen (What else use are they? haha jk) Anyway...

There's a lot about Gou and Kent's conversation that I'm both proud and disappointed in; I'll just never be satisfied that I did that storyline justice~ I think Mikoshiba is easy to win over forgiveness (Jus tlook at Rin swimming for Iwatobi's relay); he obviously isn't going to ever like Kent, but Gou tells him that Kent is going to leave her-and, msot importantly to her, her brother-alone and Mikoshiba's just like "Well, if that's good enough for you, it's good enough for me~!" Rin not so much...

Speaking of which, Are ya'll really dating Mikoshiba? You didn't exactly ask Gou whether you were or not...that all gets resolved in the next chapter~! I'll post prlly sometime this weekend, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoed this chapter~!


	9. Fate

Updating for the weekend~ (IDK, maybe I'll update tomorrow night just depends on getting work done~) Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing~! Song title belongs to Lydia and is off their album "Illuminate"~

* * *

Fate

* * *

It's at that exact moment, before Rin can even begin to inhale to yell at Mikoshiba (or make a dive for his throat) that a sudden push lurches most of the Samezuka swim team forward, followed by the tumbling in of four panting Iwatobi swim club members, the rear slowly being brought up by an out-of-breadth Chigusa.

"Gou!" Nagisa yells, though he's bent over both knees and dripping wet, having just jumped from the pool.

They're all four half naked and wet, and Gou suddenly is more conscious about how this all must appear to everyone in the cafe.

The staff have thrown their hands up, retreating in frustration at how many of the kids are ignoring the 'no shoes no shirt' sign. Customers completely neglect their food in favor of watching the scene unfold. Gou would suggest that everyone move outside, except that no one would listen to her.

The Samezuka team huddles together, completely oblivious to what is happening and confused, muttering questions amongst themselves. Nitori is the only one with an inkling of an idea, standing amidst his teammates, but his attention is on Rin, who is glaring at Mikoshiba.

Mikoshiba seems to be glaring at Rin back, challenging him, still standing protectively close to Gou, whose eyes are on her swim team and friend, who are suddenly tripping over each other to stand and approach Gou.

"You shouldn't have gone out by yourself, Gou!" Nagisa whines.

The hilarity of the situation finally sinks in, and Gou bursts out laughing. She laughs so hard, tears form at the corner of her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Nagisa! I promise I won't again!" She yells between breaths, calming her giggling fit. Mikoshiba is amused, as are the Iwatobi boys (Mostly just relieved to see that Gou is alright).

Rin is the only one still fuming.

"The hell do you mean you're _dating_?!"

Chigusa gasps.

Mikoshiba scratches at his temple, realizing that in hindsight, blurting that might not have been the best move.

"Well, it means what it means," he shrugs.

"There's no-"

"Ah, you know, you're right!" Mikoshiba suddenly blushes, turning to face Gou. He grips both her hand sin his, looking her directly in the eye at her level and frowning in concentration, "Gou Matsuoka, will you be my girlfriend?"

Chigusa is spasming behind Haru, while Rin is fuming.

"I-"

"Absolutely not!"

"Rin!"

"There's no way my sister is dating you! Gou, let's go. We're going home!"

"Now, wait a second, you can't just drag her off like that!"

"Ah, we're still having swim practice! Gou needs to-"

"_Stop_!"

Everyone turns to face, surprisingly, Chigusa, whose happiness for her friend has quickly morphed into annoyance.

"Gou has been through a lot! She's coming home with _me_ now and that's that."

Rin isn't satisfied with that, "But-"

"_You _can text her later about it! Right now, _you_," Chigusa turned to Mikoshiba, "have a swim practice to return to!" She quickly smiled an introductory wave, as if to say, 'By the way, I'm Chigusa. It's nice to finally meet you!' before turning straight to Makoto and adding, "as do _you."_

Makoto blushed in embarrassment. The Samezuka swim club gawked on as Chigusa contained to chew out everyone present.

"Gou will be spending the night at my house. Anyone who wishes to talk to her can either message her after their respective practices, or can wait until tomorrow!" Chigusa nodded with finality, concluding her orders. Turning to Gou, she reached out her hand.

"Gou," she offered.

Without a word, Gou stepped up and followed Chigusa from the café. She threw one final look back at Rin, who was speechless, and Mikoshiba, who, too, was at a loss for words.

Gou muttered a quiet sorry to the team for which she was manager, and then slipped from the café after Chigusa, who refused to stop to acknowledge anyone with goodbyes.

And so the gathered boys, a variety of half nude and clothed, stood gaping after the two girls in the center of the café.

* * *

"Here—you can borrow these," Chigusa offers Gou a folded pajama shirt and shorts.

Gou wonders how many times this week she's had to borrow clothes from someone. She still has Haru and Coach Sasabe's shirts; they've been washed and folded and she meant to bring them to school tomorrow.

"Thank you," is the most Gou has said since arriving at Chigusa's house. Chigusa's mother had been in the kitchen, preparing to head to the grocery store when the girls had first arrived and Chigusa declared that Gou was sleeping over. Her father would be home later that night.

Gou sat on Chigusa's bed awkwardly waiting while Chigusa gathered extra blankets and pillows from the hall closet, throwing them down at Gou's feet and declaring that when they were ready to go to sleep, she'd help her set up a makeshift bed.

When Gou didn't react much to this, Chigusa threw herself on the bed beside Gou, propping her chin up by her hands and stretching out on her stomach.

"Now, _tell me."_

Gou looked quizzically at her friend.

"_You _were in the middle of telling me about how you'd seen Mikoshiba that night of the party," everyone stopped denying that it 'wasn't a party'; even Rei. "_So_!"

Gou just stared at her friend before finally breaking out, for the second time that afternoon, into laughter.

"That's what this is about? You pulled me out of there, with everyone standing in that café, so you could hear the rest of the story?"

Hana pouts, unable to see the ridiculousness in the situation.

Gou shakes her head before bringing her knees up onto the mattress, turning to properly face Chigusa.

"My brother is furious with me. I abandoned my team for practice and I never even answered Mikoshiba, all because you couldn't wait to hear the end of my story?!"

"Your brother will text you if he has anything to say to you—besides, I think he was more angry at Mikoshiba than you. Your team can handle one practice without you, and as for Mikoshiba…I want to hear your answer and the _story behind it _before he gets to!"

There was no getting around this one, Gou realized.

Chigusa made the entire 'story' much grander sounding and dragged it out with question after question. Gou initially told Chigusa how Mikoshiba had been waiting at her house, to check that she was okay, after the party-that-wasn't-one-but-was, and after talking to her, they'd kissed. Chigusa initially got excited, thinking this to be Gou's first kiss. Gou didn't have the heart to correct her, but realized it didn't matter either way.

To her, the kiss with Kent was nothing she wanted or asked for. She didn't count it as anything except a violation on Kent's behalf.

Her first real, wanted kiss had been with Mikoshiba.

Chigusa had begged to know everything Gou and Mikoshiba had said and exchanged, which not even Gou could fully remember. Gou also didn't tell Chigusa that she had in fact kissed Mikoshiba three times, though eventually Chigusa got that out of her as well.

Though Gou left out how Mikoshiba kissed her. That much she kept to herself.

Then Chigusa wanted to hear what Kent had told her today. Gou gave a summary of Kent's apology, which Chigusa grimaced disapprovingly of, and then repeated her own speech and closing statements, which Chigusa nodded and agreed with throughout Gou's retelling.

By the time Gou finally summed up to the moment Chigusa herself had run in on, Chigusa's mother had returned from the store and had brought up snacks for the girls. Chigusa was still giddy with the news that Gou and Mikoshiba had kissed, mulling that over throughout snacking, that she didn't get to asking Gou until it was time for dinner about 'her answer'.

"My answer..?"

"Gou. Mikoshiba asked you to be his _girlfriend_. You're going to have to answer him. Probably tonight."

"_Tonight_?!"

Chigusa nodded.

"He'll text or call you, probably. _I_ think he really should ask you in person, but maybe he can't wait."

* * *

Gou hardly touched the meal Mrs. Hanamura prepared, thinking heavily on whether her phone was suddenly going to buzz alive with a call from Mikoshiba. He wouldn't..?

Would he?

Even more so than Mikoshiba's call, Gou was anticipating Rin's.

Chigusa had told him to message her if he had anything to say to her, and in honesty she was hoping he would. Would he finally text her first now? (She'd received his message the day he came to pick her up, though late. She'd saved it in her inbox, but had no reason to message him back at the time seeing that she had been with him that night, anyway)

So after dinner, as the girls washed up and changed out of their school uniforms, Gou sat by her phone, weighing in her mind the possibility of who would message her first; Mikoshiba, or Rin?

She jumped when the door to the bathroom opened, mistaking it at first to be an alert on her phone.

"You alright?" Hana asked. Gou nodded, feeling very worn and defeated from the drain of waiting. The anticipation was terrible!

* * *

Rin had kept his mouth shut tight the entire jog back to Samezuka. He'd lagged at the back of the group, and only Nitori dared to run near him. The whole team had grown quiet, refusing to acknowledge what had just transpired between their teammate and captain and allegedly teammate's sister.

And all through the rest of practice, though it was cut short. Mikoshiba delegated a few swim drills and then took to practicing by himself; what with nationals exactly a week away.

Rin refused to look at his captain.

Between juggling what to confront his sister about and what alibi to give to the police should he become a suspect in the case of the missing Mikoshiba he planned to dispose of, he couldn't settle on any one thing for either.

So, when practice ended, he chose the only immediate action he thought he could take.

He confronted Mikoshiba.

Everyone had just about cleared from the locker room, save one or two stragglers, Nitori, Mikoshiba and himself. Rin was done holding back and approached his captain, who had taken his sweet time redressing as if expecting Rin to confront him here and now anyway.

"Mikoshiba. We need to talk."

Mikoshiba just smiled, which pissed Rin the fuck off, and now he knew for sure the senior had been expecting Rin.

"Alright. You want to do this here, or step outside?"

Rin didn't say anything, so Mikoshiba shrugged and led the two back into the gymnasium. No point causing a scene in front of the other members, even if it was only two or three of them (one of which being Nitori, who seemed to be more involved in everything than anyone had expected).

Nitori watched after the two, rightfully concerned.

* * *

Chigusa was playing some light music in the background, tapping her pencil along her homework. Gou had pulled out her own work from her school bag, but found she couldn't focus at all. She kept waiting for either Mikoshiba or Rin to text her. It was getting late; they had to be out of practice by now. Chigusa _said_ they'd both call her…

"Have your answer?" Chigusa teased, causing Gou to flinch and return her attention to her homework.

_Stupid Chigusa…_

It was at that moment that Gou's phone buzzed.

Just once. A message.

Gou and Chigusa both flew to the phone, Gou reaching it first while Chigusa gripped Gou's shoulder, just as eager to see who and what had been sent.

It was Mikoshiba.

[_Still up for that date Friday? Sorry bout this afternoon. Sure you're ok? __]_

He'd mentioned this afternoon, but not about asking her to be his girlfriend.

Gou glanced at Chigusa who shrugged herself back to her homework, leaving Gou to respond on her own.

_[Yes. It's alright. I'm fine}_

She fears it's too curt and that he'll get the impression she doesn't want to talk to him, so she quickly follows up with,

[_How was rest of practice?]_

(She adds and erases a smiley face several times before deciding that one wouldn't be appropriate in this instance)

Mikoshiba takes a long time to respond, which worries Gou.

By the time she's finally finished all her homework, Mikoshiba still hasn't responded.

Chigusa yawns and Gou sets her phone aside. Together, they quickly set up a bed for Gou to sleep on before tucking themselves in. By the time Gou does return to her phone, Mikoshiba has responded.

[_Talked to your brother]_

Gou hurriedly replies,

[_What'd he say?]_

Mikoshiba doesn't respond, and Gou falls asleep still worrying, wondering what her brother had to say to Mikoshiba, yet didn't have to say to her.

Rin still never messaged or called her.

* * *

Thursday morning, Gou dresses for school at Chigusa's house (Her mother did laundry that night, washing their uniforms in time for school that morning) and the two walk to school together. Mikoshiba doesn't text Gou back, so she slips her phone into her bag and ignores it the entire day.

Even during swim practice, she refuses to glance at it, keeping her focus and attention on the boys and their times.

Gou slips away from the pool before any of the boys are finished changing, determined to walk home alone today. As much as she appreciated the escorts, she's almost certain Kent won't bother her today, or ever, and she'd like to be alone.

When she finally pulls her phone out, having reached her house for the first time since yesterday morning, Mikoshiba has texted her back, but only to say [_sorry fell asleep_].

Gou replies that's fine, but makes no mention of asking again what her brother and he discussed. His next text doesn't mention it either, and to Gou's disappointment she realizes that that conversation has been dropped.

It's just as Gou is about to go to bed that Mikoshiba finally mentions their date for tomorrow.

[_I'll pick you up after school. No swim practice_]

Gou wonders if she'd rather they waited; she could have gotten ready and changed out of her school uniform, but wonders if she might do that real quick after school before meeting him?

[_Where are we going?]_

[_You'll see__]_

* * *

Gou forgets a change of clothes that morning, only remembering her plan half way through homeroom. Actually, she forgets completely about the date until then, which is odd considering she fell asleep thinking about what possibly Mikoshiba could have in store.

And it's just as well she forgot a change of clothes because distance must mean nothing to Mikoshiba; he's outside the school a minute after she's released from class.

He had to have skipped his own classes to have made it all the way here to meet her just as she got out of class, she decides. She makes a note to ask him if that's indeed what he did, but never does.

Mikoshiba is a handsome fellow, and tall, but Gou can't recall ever seeing him in his school uniform, and not in regular clothes or swim sweats.

Several students watch the duo, because some don't recognize the uniform and others just have never seen Mikoshiba around. More yet whisper and mutter, wondering since _when did Matsuoka know someone that handsome? Who is Matsuoka with? He looks much older than Matsuoka—is he in college?_

Mikoshiba doesn't notice any of this.

"Ready?"

She isn't sure; maybe if she had an idea as to where they were going.

Gou voices as much, but Mikoshiba just laughs. "It's a surprise!"

Her first thought is, _it's another party-not-party._

* * *

The surprise ends up being Mikoshiba walking Gou in a direction she isn't familiar with and then blindfolding her with his hands when he declares they're almost there.

"Is this necessary? Couldn't I just close my eyes..?"

"Nope. I don't trust you," Mikoshiba laughs. He's stepping cautiously behind her steps, careful not to clip her heels, while directing and leading her with his hands and arms as well. Gou tries to walk quickly, thinking she doesn't want to slow them down with this newfound handicap, but Mikoshiba is careful to warn her or direct her away from any approaching obstacle and makes no mention that they're walking to slow.

Truth be told, he's just enjoying this inverted way of holding Gou, bouncing her shoulders between the barriers of his arms that wrap around her to allow his hands to cover her eyes.

He blushes at the thought, thankful that Gou can't see, well, _anything_.

Gou's new bag pounds at her hip and with each step, her Iwatobi charm jingles. Not knowing what to with her hands, Gou grips the strap of her bag, occasionally throwing a hand out to keep her balance as Mikoshiba has her step from a curb or suddenly turn.

Gou pouts, curious if they're nearly to their destination or not. She's about to ask as much when Mikoshiba stops her.

"We're here."

"…Can I look yet?"

Mikoshiba jumps, forgetting to have removed his hands (buying himself a moment longer to linger) before snapping them to his sides.

Gou opens her eyes and-

"A gym?!"

Mikoshiba nods, proud of himself.

"What…what is this date..?"

"Come inside!" Mikoshiba urges, tugging Gou inside after him.

Any doubt Gou has of as to why Mikoshiba brought her to a gym for their date dissipates when he drags her to a glass window overlooking a weight room.

_Muscles_.

Flawless pounds of perfectly built muscles. Quads, hamstrings, biceps and triceps; pectorals and deltoids. Abs.

Beautifully toned and bare muscles. Exposed muscles flexing and contracting as the athletes lifted weights and stretched. Outlines of muscles protruding from skin tight athletic wear. Upper body muscles, lower body muscles. It was a gathering of the most perfect specimens of muscles Gou had witnessed, next to the Regionals swim meet.

Gou beamed at the muscles, to which Mikoshiba proudly nodded.

"Pictures don't do the real thing justice."

That's right, Gou recalled. Mikoshiba was prescribed to the same muscles monthly magazine that she was.

He appreciated the beauty of muscles and fitness as much as she did!

"C'mon. I can't have you looking at other guys our entire date."

* * *

"Basketball?" Gou blinked, staring at the court Mikoshiba had led them to.

"I love swimming, but you have to switch it up occasionally," he explained, dribbling a ball he'd checked out from the front desk.

Gou shook her head, "I-I'm not dressed to play-"

"Relax. I'm in uniform, too. I'll go easy on you."

"No, you don't understand…Rin definitely got all the athletic genes of the family-"

Mikoshiba laughed, shaking his head and crouching into a starting position. He motioned for Gou to step forward, cover him, which she sulked into position to do so.

"I'm telling you, I'm not-"

Mikoshiba easily passed her, suddenly jolting alive and dribbling the ball quickly to the basket before turning in a layout.

Gou, left standing where she'd started, sighed.

"This won't be very fun for you, you know. It'll be _that_ easy-"

Mikoshiba cuts her off with a kiss.

"Wh-wh-what was that?!"

"For every point I get, I get a kiss. I think I'll enjoy this game just fine," Mikoshiba counters.

Gou, despite herself, smiles, crouching to prepare herself to defend.

* * *

Gou's efforts are amiable. True to his word, Mikoshiba does go easy on her, taking only a step or two before planting himself, having to pivot to avoid her reaches for the ball. And his talent in swimming doesn't fully extend to basketball as well; he misses several of his farther shots.

That said, Gou only gets her hands on the ball a grand total of three times, and each shot that Mikoshiba stands to the side to allow her to take doesn't go through.

The final score is six to zero, though Mikoshiba stops collecting his kisses immediately after scoring after the second one, claiming to 'hold onto them' for a later time.

One of those 'later' moments happens to be the moment after he declares the game over, stealing a kiss before Gou can start to complain how it really was an unfair challenge on her behalf from the beginning.

After the defeat that is basketball, Mikoshiba leads Gou to the smoothie bar in the center of the recreational center. He sits opposite of her, refusing to let her pay for the smoothie herself, and spending more time watching Gou drink her smoothie than drinking his own.

When Gou comments on such, Mikoshiba dives at his smoothie, over exaggerating his face in trying to drink the smoothie in one sitting This causes Gou to break into laughter, and even more so when he's hit with a terrible brain freeze and begins cringing.

"What now?" Gou asks, content with her smoothie completed and leaning back in her chair.

Mikoshiba glances to the side, suddenly concerned. Gou tries to follow his eyes, but he quickly advises her not to.

"Don't look." He warns.

"What?" Gou asks.

"It's just, there's this guy over there-don't look."

Gou, tensing, leans closer as Mikoshiba motions her to do so, lowering his voice cautiously. Gou doesn't mean to, but her thoughts jump to Kent.

"He's been-" Mikoshiba tricks Gou, leaning forward and stealing his fourth kiss, which Gou laughs and leans further into.

* * *

From the food court, Mikoshiba leads Gou towards to pools.

"Don't tell me you wear your swim trunks under your clothes too!" Gou laughs.

"No. You know someone like that?"

_Haru_.

Mikoshiba leads Gou into the bleachers, sitting at the very top with the wall as their back rest.

"Do you ever come here?" Gou asks, referring to this pool and recreational center in general.

"Mm. I work here, during the breaks. The pool at Samezuka is great, but it's nice to swim in a new pool every once in a while. Sometimes I'll come here just to check out other swimmers; watch their technique, see how they train. There's some interesting regiments out there."

Gou nods slowly, amazed at Mikoshiba's dedication.

"Mikoshiba is a lot like Rin!"

"Eh? I wouldn't go that far…"

"Rin was really dedicated to swimming. He lived and breathed swimming!"

"Hey, now…I don't think I'm _that_ obsessed!"

"There's nothing wrong with being passionate!" Gou smiles, "I think it's one of your best qualities, Mikoshiba-"

"Seijuro."

"Eh?" Gou suddenly blushes.

Mikoshiba smiles at her, "I call you Gou. You can call me Seijuro."

"But, Miko-"

"You called me it once, remember?" Mikoshiba points out.

Gou blushes, "Th-that..!" Was an accident? Was to get your attention? Gou bites her lip.

"S…Sei-Seiju... Seijuro!"

Mikoshiba stares at her for a full second before turning away, his face violently red with blush.

"Mikoshiba?"

"T-too cute…"

Gou giggles, "I should just stick with Mikoshiba-"

For the fifth time that afternoon, Mikoshiba catches Gou off guard with a kiss.

"That's five," he whispers when he does finally pull away from her, this kiss slower and softer than the others.

"Please call me Seijuro."

Gou nods slowly.

* * *

The two of them watch the pool slowly empty as swimmers begin to file towards the locker rooms to shower and change, or continue their workout elsewhere. When only a handful of athletes remain, Mikoshiba stands up, offering Gou and hand which she takes to stand.

"Gou."

"Mm?"

"I asked you, the other day…what's your answer?"

For a minute, Gou doesn't recall what he's talking about. Then, it hits her.

"O-oh!"

Mikoshiba blushes but keeps his eyes on her, determined to face her rejection head on.

"Th-that…"

Mikoshiba inhales, straightening his back and throwing his shoulders back to appear confident, "Gou Matsuoka. Will you be my girl-"

Gou cuts Mikoshiba off with a kiss, throwing her arms around his shoulders. Mikoshiba is quick to pick up on the action, bringing his arms around her back and lifting her into a spin. She smiles, he feels through the kiss, and after spinning as fast as he can, he sets her down again.

She deepens the kiss briefly just before releasing him, smiling up at him still in his arms, "that makes six."

"That better have been your answer."

"Yes."

He doesn't ask if she means yes, that's her answer, or yes, her answer was yes (It doesn't matter, that's one in the same). He leans forward, but Gou dodges, laughing, "_That's_ seven!"

Mikoshiba shrugs, going in for the seventh kiss anyway.

* * *

**A/N**: Chigusa really has a larger role in this fic than she ever did in the series, and I'm both sorry and not sorry for it. I liked the idea that she just commands over all the gathered main characters haha

So the Rin and Mikoshiba confrontation will show up and you'll find uot what happened and what was said...just not this chapter. I was going to try to throw it in but it'd throw the pacing off and I like it where it is later so I left it~ It's not the prettiest of confrontations~

But, Yay for SeiGou! Again, still feeling squicky bout how quick their relationship is developing~ like, that's what...sevne kisses on the first date, _then_ ya'll declare you're actually gonig out..? There's not too much left in this story, but for continuation/imagination purposes, pretend that the rest of their relationship, should it last through this story, was taken slow and steadily~ haha

This chapter feels like two; the first is Gou and Chigusa's sleepover, and had I split this into two chapters that would also have included Seijuro and Rin's confrontation, but it felt kinda slow and boring too...and the second being the date itself. I had no idea where their date was going until I tried to think, "What would make them both happy? Muscles?...a gym?" Haha and I chose basketball cause it's always swimming, so I wanted to branch it out for them~ except, after I typed this chapter I read somewhere about how Seijuro's other hobbies include I think it was tennis? And maybe some other sport but he seems like the kind of guy whose down to paly anything~ So, I thought why not basketball :p

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry if the date wasn't fluffy enough? Or OOCness...Anyway, not many chapters left~! (Like, three I think~)


	10. I Woke Up Near the Sea

Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter! Only two left, and I can't decide whether to post them quickly before things get hectic or wait one week for Thanksgiving break~!

Disclaimer: I own nothing~! Song, which is a good one as they all are, is from Lydia's album "Illuminate"

There's a flashback early on, but I didn't specify saying outright "This is a flashback~" haha hope you recognize it as such tho and hopefully it's not too confusing~

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

I Woke Up Near the Sea

* * *

Mikoshiba walks Gou back to her empty home. Each time Mikoshiba kisses her, no matter how spontaneous they are, he's always shy about it. He blushes madly, which, if Gou notices in time, gives away his intention every time. And he can't keep a straight face through kisses; he always smiles, like a kid with candy, and she loves it.

She loves that she already can pick up on his kissing habits (Well, he certainly has acquainted her in such a short time with his kisses, so it's not all that surprising).

His kiss goodbye to her is no different this time around. His faces flushes with color; he leans in slowly at first, but then can't handle the anticipation and crashes his lips against hers; and he smiles halfway through the kiss but refuses to break apart until he absolutely must.

Gou keeps her eyes closed up until he finally breaks apart, and the way he looks at her makes her blush furiously but she doesn't mind it. His eyes are longing and warm; nothing like Kent's.

(She can hardly remember Kent's face, her mind is so drowned in thoughts of Mi-_Seijuro_, she corrects herself)

Once inside, Gou thinks to check her phone. She isn't expecting any messages, but that does remind her of Rin and she curses at herself for forgetting to ask Mikoshiba about what her brother and he talked about. She considers texting Rin herself, but thinks against it.

He'll most likely chew her out for something or other, or confront her about if she went out with Mikoshiba this afternoon, whether he knew she would or not, and she doesn't want him to spoil the evening.

Who she does text is Chigusa, because her friend had bothered her all through lunch about what the date would be like. Gou hadn't the faintest idea at the time, but knew Chigusa would now get every detail out of her eventually. Might as well relay it while it was still fresh in her mind.

Not a minute after Gou sent the text to Chigusa did her inbox flood with messages.

The first being from Mikoshiba.

[_I had a great time today __]_

She smiles texting her response.

The second is from Makoto, surprisingly.

[_Hey! We were all thinking about holding another training-weekend-from-hell this weekend with the Samezuka team for Mikoshiba before Nationals! Wondering what you thought and if you'd ask Mikoshiba if he was up for it? We could all use a weekend on the beach!]_

That didn't sound that bad, Gou thought. Mikoshiba probably would be up for it; he'd told her how much he enjoyed the island their two schools had been on the last time they'd been there. It's be just for the weekend, nothing too hellish to tire him out, and Makoto was right; they could all use a quick vacation away from the city.

Just as Gou forwards the idea to Mikoshiba, Chigusa responds, demanding more details of the date (As if Gou hadn't told her everything that she was willing to tell?!).

Mikoshiba responds that that idea sounds great. When Gou relays this to Makoto, he sends her a planned schedule to forward. They'll meet early at the docks, Sasabe will ferry them to the island (As usual, he can't take the day off but will return that evening). Miss Amakata is onboard to chaperone.

It all sounds fine, until Makoto follows up the message asking Gou to get an estimate of how many students from Samezuka are willing to camp out to support their captain and train-It's not a mandatory weekend practice, though Mikoshiba could choose to make it such with his team.

That's right. Samezuka…

_Rin_.

Would Rin come?

Gou sends Makoto's message, leaving out her concern of Mikoshiba—Seijuro—having to confront her brother about the proposal. Or maybe when they talked, they worked through their problems. Perhaps Gou is over thinking this; Rin could be giving the couple his blessing, for all she knew.

(She sincerely doubted that much)

In any case, it was Mikoshiba's problem to worry about, not hers.

* * *

All Mikoshiba read within Gou's latest message was 'Rin'.

_Well, shit_.

The trip _had_ seemed like a good idea.

Maybe if he just didn't ask Matsuoka and showed up tomorrow morning, told the others that their friend was just _too_ busy to take the time off…

That sounded fine, until the truth catches up to him and Rin finds out that Mikoshiba didn't even ask him if he wanted to join the others. Actually, Rin would be more offended that Mikoshiba and Gou were on the island together without him rather than be offended that Mikoshiba didn't even ask Rin.

He just can't imagine confronting Rin again after their last disaster of a 'talk' from Wednesday night.

* * *

"You wanted to talk. Go ahead," Mikoshiba probes, crossing his arms.

Rin's dragged him out by the pool, and it's late and they're both tired from the afternoon ordeal at the cafe.

"What the _hell_ was that back there? You're dating my sister?"

Mikoshiba sighs, "Well, she didn't answer me, so I guess that was a bit premature on my behalf-"

"The _fuck_ it was! Stay the hell away from my sister-!"

"Yeah, except if you haven't noticed, lately _me_ being there for your sister is kind of exactly what she's needed."

That's a low blow and Rin looks ready to hit Mikoshiba. Mikoshiba's counting on it.

"My sister doesn't need you-"

"She doesn't." Mikoshiba agrees, "but, that doesn't mean she doesn't _want_ me."

Poor, _poor_ choice of words.

Rin goes in to deck Mikoshiba, who dodges the blow barely.

"Alright, I didn't mean that-! Think about what're you're doing, Matsuoka!" Mikoshiba shouts, throwing his hand up to deflect Rin's fist.

"My sister is having a hard enough time with one creep, she doesn't need the likes of you breathing down her back the second she escapes the first-"

"But she does need me in the place of her brother!" Mikoshiba snaps. "You want to argue she doesn't need me? She's choosing to come to me. Because her own damn brother won't _fucking_ text her or reach out to her. In that case, yeah, she is going to turn to me. Because _I'm_ there for her, which is more than you can say."

"Shut the hell up. You don't know what you're talking about-"

"I don't? I know you never texted her back, or called her. I get it. You had a tough time in Australia. You lost your drive, your will to swim and you've found it again in swimming with your friends from Iwatobi. But you can't shut Gou out. Even now, you still refuse to let her in! You still won't send a damn message to her in the morning saying '_hi'_ or '_hello'_ or '_how was your day, sis? I'm just asking because I care'_. It's 'cause you _don't_."

"You think I don't fucking care about my sister?!"

"I'm not so sure. So, yes, your sister and I aren't dating. _Yet_. But, I really like your sister. And she likes me back. And if we're not dating tonight, I won't stop until we are because I care about her and I will always be there for her. I'll be a part of her life, for as long as she wants me. And when you want to start being a part of her life? You know how to reach her. Or me."

Rin isn't done talking but Mikoshiba is. He walks out, ignoring Rin whether he's calling after him or not. He has a date with Gou to plan. He pulls out his phone, texting then and there and not giving a shit if Rin can see him do so and can piece two and two together that Mikoshiba has the audacity to text Gou right in front of him.

_[Still up for that date Friday? Sorry bout this afternoon. Sure you're ok? __]_

* * *

Mikoshiba's roundabout solution is to invite Nitori and have him relay the option to Rin. If Rin shows up in the morning? Great. It'll be a strained and awkward weekend, but at least Mikoshiba won't feel guilty lying to Gou about inviting her brother. If he doesn't show up? Even better.

That morning, Rin shows up.

He's one of the last to arrive, in tow behind Nitori, but he's there and Mikoshiba feels his stomach lurch. He intentionally stands away from Gou because despite all his big talk the night he and Rin argued, he doesn't want to deliberately piss the kid off.

Rin doesn't approach Mikoshiba, but even more upsetting is he keeps his distance from Gou. That pisses Mikoshiba off. That nothing he said got through to Rin.

Like he purposely wants to remain aloof towards Gou.

Whatever. Just means the two of them won't be bothered much.

Except there is no 'two of them'. From the moment the crowd of swimmers hit the beach, they break straight into training. They divide their time, training both in open water swimming, as the Iwatobi swimmers lead, and training in the indoor pool that Samezuka used on their previous trip here.

Mikoshiba only sees Gou at lunch, but she's so busy serving lunches to everyone along with Miss Amakata that he hardly sees her then even.

* * *

They stop training an hour before sundown, allowing everyone adequate time to set their tents. Remarkably, they mustered enough money and volunteered equipment to supply enough tents that everyone can sleep two to a tent, with the exception of Gou and Miss Amakata who had rented a lodging last minute further from the beach.

Mikoshiba, though disappointed despite having known things would work out this way, settled with knowing he'd be sleeping next to the vice-captain of the Samezuka swim team, a fellow third year who Mikoshiba had known since he first entered the program.

Except then his vice-captain stumbled upon the wrong plant, incidentally causing an allergic reaction that landed him at the overnight medical care unit located in the same building as the indoor poor and recreational center.

Mikoshiba suddenly had the tent to himself.

"Wah! Lucky Captain! Switch with me, eh?!"

"Switch with you?! Switch with me, Captain Mikoshiba! This guy snores-!"

"Which is exactly why he should switch with _me_! That way no one has to listen to me snore, _idiot_!"

Mikoshiba sighed. In honesty, he wouldn't mind sharing the tent. But, if anyone was going to get the privilege to sleep alone, it might as well be him. This whole training trip was for him anyway, wasn't it?

The two captains, Mikoshiba and Makoto, had set a curfew. Upon arriving at said curfew, they scanned through each tent to check that everyone was inside. Mikoshiba had the misfortune of checking on Rin and Nitori's tent, but to his relief Rin appeared already asleep. He passed on his goodnight to Nitori, warning him to get a good night's sleep before the morning drills, which would take place before they ferried back to the mainland.

Makoto then checked with Mikoshiba, confirming that everyone was accounted for, and said his own good night.

Mikoshiba had just reached his tent when he caught sight of the glimmer of a flashlight approaching their encampment.

"Whose there?"

"Me!"

It was Gou. Mikoshiba felt his heart race. Was she coming to meet him? She wasn't trying to keep her voice down-some of the swimmers were still awake! What if they saw her, saw them, did she want everyone to know..?

As Gou got closer, Mikoshiba could make out that she was struggling with something in her hands. Reacting quickly, he met her halfway and took from her a bundle of blankets.

"What's this?"

"Miss Amakata checked these out from the lodging for everyone here at the beach. She was so tired, though, so I volunteered to bring these to everyone."

Mikoshiba scratched at his head with his free hand.

"Most everyone's asleep, but I'll go ahead and distribute these to those who are still awake and want an extra blanket."

"I'll help!" Gou chimed.

She was so cute!

* * *

"That's everybody," Mikoshiba announced, plopping down in the sand on a dune just behind his own tent. Gou crouched beside him, joining him.

"Did you need an extra blanket?" She suddenly asks, horrified that there hadn't been any spares for him. She's heard about his tent-mate drama, and had already gone to check on the senior earlier. He was in fine condition, but wouldn't be released til morning.

"I'll be fine," Mikoshiba admitted.

Gou wasn't in any rush to return to her room. Amakata would already be asleep, she was so exhausted from sitting in the shade all day, avoiding the sun as usual but encouraging everyone on from the sidelines. Gou hadn't had the chance to talk or see Mikoshiba all day, so she thought she'd take a moment now to amend that.

Mikoshiba felt physically exhausted, but hadn't had a moment to just talk to Gou and was in no rush to cut his only chance short.

"Do you feel ready for Nationals?" Gou asks.

Mikoshiba shrugs, and then smirks confidently, "I'll be alright."

Gou nods, watching the dark waves roll in and out. They're low now, but she can tell certain tents that are too close to the tide will wake up to quite the surprise in the morning.

It's late and the sky is dark but she can still make out clouds. No stars, which is disappointing.

Mikoshiba must think the same thing.

"Stupid clouds," he grumbles. "Blocking a perfectly good night!"

A thought occurs to Gou.

"Do you think it'll rain?"

"It was a perfect day all day today. I wouldn't think so."

Gou nods slowly, not so convinced.

"How'd Rin look out there?" She asks. This surprises Mikoshiba. More so when he thinks back and realizes he doesn't remember seeing much of Rin all day.

"You didn't see him out there?"

Gou shakes her head, though Mikoshiba can't make out as much in the dark.

"I was so busy helping keep records and handing out supplies, running errands for Miss Amakata…I don't think I saw you out there but once or twice!"

Mikoshiba should feel sad about that, but the way she giggles the fact just makes him smile.

"He hasn't tried to talk to you, has he?"

Gou doesn't answer immediately.

"…I'm sure he's busy."

Mikoshiba hits the sand.

"Bullshit! He should make time for his sister instead of holding some kind of grudge-!"

"Grudge? Is Rin mad at me?!"

Mikoshiba flinches but before he even can come up with an excuse (Or worse; admit the truth) a droplet hits his nose.

Followed by another…and another.

In just a few short seconds, rain suddenly is drilling down on them. Gou is on her feet instantly, searching for her discarded flashlight with little luck in the dark. Without thinking much of it, Mikoshiba grabs her wrist and pulls her along with him towards his tent.

The two dive in, suddenly protected by the layered tent as torrents of rain washes over the tents. Gou peaks out the tent's opening, frowning as the rain waves down and blinds any sight of the lodgings or the path up to them.

"Wait the rain out here a bit," Mikoshiba offers, thankful for the towel left over from practice in his tent. He offers it to Gou first, who quickly dries her hair before handing it to him to do the same.

Gou sits on her knees in one corner of the tent while Mikoshiba occupies the other, cross-legged.

After a moment, he realizes how ridiculous that they've managed to put the most space between themselves within this small tent (make smaller as the hard-hitting rain pushes at the walls of the tent, urging them to collapse), and he slides to the center of the tent, unfolding the blanket.

He motions for her to come closer, which she does, lying down sideways facing him. He drapes the blanket over both of them and it's then that Gou realizes how cold she actually was, suddenly shivering and clinging to as much of the blanket is hers.

Mikoshiba shifts closer to her, allowing her more of the blanket, but now they're close enough that his breath hits her face and he realizes this would be a very compromising position to be caught in. He reminds himself it's just until the rain lets up, and that no one will be trekking to his tent for any reason anyway.

"Is Rin really mad at me?" Gou finally whispers. She sounds upset and Mikoshiba feels terrible that his slip up, his grudge match against Rin, is the cause. But he can't bring himself to tell Gou about the words he exchanged with Rin. That's a conversation Rin needs to have with his sister himself.

"No, he's…not," Mikoshiba comforts, slipping his arm under her head like a pillow, with his free hand dragging up to her arm, rubbing it for added warmth that she's grateful for.

"Are you certain?"

He tries nodding, which is difficult to do when you're tired and laying on your side.

"He's just focused on training. You know him and swimming…he's working hard out there, is all. That's why you didn't see much of him."

He closes his eyes because she's so warm and he is that tired, but he wants her to just stay here. Stay with him and don't think about Rin.

Think about me.

"Seijuro."

Mikoshiba's chest is a knot.

"Seijuro…" she tries, softer. "The rain is stopping. I have to go…"

Mikoshiba nods, humming an 'ok' but not moving. He's so comfortable.

Gou giggles quietly, "Miss Amakata will wake up and I won't be there."

"And?" Mikoshiba slips his arms around Gou, pulling her in against him and now she's trapped. He smirks because she's half-heartedly trying to squirm free but they both know she's as eager to leave as he is to let her go.

"Leave when the rain stops," he mumbles.

"It has."

Mikoshiba slips asleep before he can mutter, "has it now?"

* * *

His sleep doesn't last long.

"Captain, Toru's tent collapsed because he didn't- _Captain_?!"

Mikoshiba jumps awake, throwing the blanket fully over Gou who squeals at being found out.

Standing at the entrance to his tent, poking his head in, is Nitori.

"Gou..?"

"Ai!" Seijuro yelps, blood rushing to his face at the realization of how this must look. "It-it's not..! Nitori, this isn't..!"

"Oi, Ai, what's taking the Captain so long? Get his ass out here!"

That voice.

_Rin_.

Gou audibly squeaks and Mikoshiba hisses a quick curse. Rin is approaching their tent—if he finds Gou…

Mikoshiba is on his feet, scrambling and shoving Nitori out after him by the collar.

"Get Gou out of here," he whispers the order, pushing around the first year to stop Rin just in time from entering the captain's tent.

"What's this about Toru's tent? Did he not nail the picks in deep enough?"

Rin is glaring at Mikoshiba, and for a moment the captain is afraid he suspects something.

He tries to look past Mikoshiba into his tent.

"Where's Ai?"

"I sent him back up to the lodgings. I left the hammer back with Miss Amakata."

Rin buys the excuse, or is too tired to argue, and merely turns around, yawning back to his own tent.

Mikoshiba sighs with relief, praying that Nitori can slip Gou out of the campsite and back to the lodgings without anyone seeing them.

* * *

Sure enough Toru's tent is collapsed and he and his roommate are arguing a ways off, because it was Toru's, a second year, responsibility to pitch the tent and, to really no one's surprise, he didn't properly set it.

Luckily, Seijuro kicks the picks in enough that he doesn't need a hammer, which is just as well because Ai comes up empty handed.

Rin makes note of this.

"Eh? Ai, I thought you went to get the hammer from Amakata's room?"

Ai looks to Mikoshiba, questioning if that _was_ what he was doing, to which Mikoshiba quickly jumps to defend.

"Y-you know, Nitori, I remembered just after you left that the hammer is actually with Tachibana. I guess I sent you all that way for nothing, sorry!"

Nitori just nods slowly, but Rin looks suspicious and Mikoshiba makes a mental note to confront Nitori tomorrow and swear him to secrecy about him and Gou for the time being.

* * *

Rei wakes up with a crick in his neck, a result of being frequently kicked at by Nagisa who doesn't sleep still. He stretches outside of the tent, wiping sleep form his eyes. The sun is still red and low in the sky, but already have the campout is waking up and preparing for that morning's workout before Sasabe retrieves them all.

Miss Amakata and Gou arrive soon with breakfast in tow for everyone, and it's at this moment that Nagisa is wide awake, pushing past Rei from the entrance of their tent to reach breakfast. Rei is still groggy and slow and ends up several people behind Nagisa in the lineup for food.

By the time Rei gets his portion of breakfast ("Morning, Rei!" "Morning, Gou!") and joins Nagisa and Nitori, sitting off to the side, Nagisa is already done with his meal and whispering fiercely with Nitori.

"Rei! Rei, listen to this!"

Nagisa yanks Rei by his shirt sleeve, causing his balance to shift and half his breakfast to land in the sand. Before Rei can chastise Nagisa for this, he's being pulled further in towards the two, who seemed more preoccupied with watching their surroundings than Rei's food.

"Nitori, last night, went to get captain Mikoshiba for Toru's tent? And he saw Gou in the tent with him!"

Rei forgets all about chewing Nagisa out for his breakfast.

"G-Gou?!"

Nagisa nods, "in Mikoshiba's tent! Then, Mikoshiba had Nitori run Gou back up to her lodging!"

Nitori nods, confirming. "Gou didn't say a word, just thanked me and ran inside her room…"

Rei glances back at Gou, who happily hands out portions to the swimmers. When he tries looking for Rei, he's surprised to see the Samezuka captain (well, not that surprised) approaching the three of them.

"Oi, Nitori, I need to talk to you!" The three of them jump, and Rei can't tell if Mikoshiba sounds angry or tired or both.

Mikoshiba glances between Nagisa and Rei and something on his face gives away his realization that they know, and suddenly he's more determined to speak to Nitori. Like damage control. Keep him from telling anyone.

Nitori jogs over to his Captain, who grips his shoulder and speaks quietly, just so Nitori can hear.

A moment later, Nitori returns to Nagisa and Rei, his eyes down cast.

"What did Mikoshiba want?!" Nagisa asks, as if he doesn't have some inkling as to what it was.

Nitori glances nervously, as if expecting Mikoshiba to be standing over him, watching him.

"He asked I keep last night to myself; not tell anyone else," that confirms what Rei thought. That Mikoshiba knows he and Nagisa know. "He especially doesn't want Rin to know. He didn't say it, but I could tell that's really what he meant."

"So don't let Rin know," Rei sums.

"Know what?"

The trio flinch. Sure enough, standing behind them is Rin.

"I-if we tell you, then you'll know!" Nagisa tries to cheer, putting on his innocent facade. Rin is having none of that.

"Know _what_?"

"Th-that Haru has been training in secret…a-after everyone else finished, yesterday, he did an extra rep! His time is going down drastically! He was telling u-us yesterday, he thinks he could for sure beat you."

Rin watches Rei, debating whether that's true or not (Or if it bothers him) before scoffing, smiling with those damn razor blades of his, "If that's what he thinks."

Rei sighs with relief.

* * *

Practice starts and they're at the indoor pool today. Stretches and drills take up the morning and for a bit of sport and friendly competition, they decide to have some sort of silly relay. Samezuka's team, being that much larger than Iwatobi's, breaks into several sub teams of four, mostly friends pairing of with friends. Distance swimmers complain at the large advantage, this being a 400m relay, but nonetheless group up and delegate one swimmer for each style.

Iwatobi takes the center lane, having to represent their school against a fool heat of Samezuka swimmers.

With the unevenness in numbers, Mikoshiba ends up sitting out the relay, acting as referee. He stands behind the set backstroke swimmers, holding out the wait between his call for go and set, allowing the anticipation to build in the swimmers before the race begins.

Samezuka's sprint relay team, with reinstated Rin, is doing well, as is Iwatobi's one team. Most of the distance swimmer groups from Samezuka have given up trying to seriously compete with the middle lane teams, though Mikoshiba makes note of how much better a few of his teammates have gotten since the start of the season.

Rei pushes off before Rin, but his swimming isn't nearly as strong and Iwatobi loses their lead in the Butterfly. It's at Rin's turnaround that Mikoshiba feels a finger tap his shoulder.

"Gou!"

Everyone is standing in front of Mikoshiba, cheering on their teammates, that no one is looking back at them.

"Is everything alright?" She asks, referring to last night. Mikoshiba blushes, "Yeah. You get back alright?"

She nods.

Mikoshiba glances, double checking, at the swimmers beside them, so intently focused on the relay, before diving in for a quick kiss with Gou.

Gou returns the kiss, but when they pull apart, she asks, "What was that for?"

Mikoshiba shrugs.

"I haven't been able to do that all weekend."

Mikoshiba's face is crimson and Gou is blushing too (She's so cute, Mikoshiba thinks) and neither of them are watching the relay anymore.

Neither of them notice that it's now the free style leg, or that they're lined up perfectly with the Samezuka sprint team's lane.

Or that Rin is staring at them from within the pool, having witnessed the kiss between his captain and sister.

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter I shamelessly admit I caterered more to match the song than the story itself~ it's such a filler chapter that does nothing for the story as a whole...But~ I still like it!

Mikoshiba and Rin's confrontation is revealed~ That scene refers to the night Samezuka ran to Gou and Kent at the cafe~ I kinda wish I'd had more Rin in this...looking back, I should've done some more from his POV instead of simply 'oh, no one really say him, he's avoiding everyone~" :p

I also skimmed completely over the training to get straight to SeiGou fluff~ I wanted to extend their conversation, in and out of the tent, but everytime I'd go back to it, I didn't know what else to add so they just get tired really quickly haha sorry~! I threw in the bit with Rei cause I needed the balance of a third party POV since I don't have any Rin... :/

Also, Mikoshiba immediately jumps to the conclusion that Toru's tent fell cause he didn't hammer the stakes in well enough and sends Nitori to "get the hammer", which Rin buys. Until this very second, I thought "Rin should be suspicious! He didn't tell Mikoshiba exactly what was wrong with Toru's tent? Why'd he send Nitori for the hammer?!" But jsut now I realized maybe Rin assumed Nitori had told Mikoshiba that they needed the hammer; he doesn't know that Nitori only had a chance to see Gou in the tent. Except, now I also realize that how screwed would Mikoshiba had been if Toru didn't need a hammer, but rather something else~ Then, Rin would've called him on his lie~ Gah, just ignore that haha it worked out for them all, didn't it?

Rin was really calm in this chapter, aside from the flashback; again, I prlly should've done something from his point of view cause everyone is just lying to him and he's like, "tsk, whatever~" (Well, maybe that is like Rin..?) Sorry if any characters were OOC~ Hope you enjoyed this chapter! End is near~!


	11. Hospital

Finally~! Big test last night, but the Thanksgiving Break is this week~! Looking forward to going home!

This chapter is (anti)-climactic conclusion to some tension throughout this story~ A LOT of you have asked for more Rin and Gou fluff, and this I'm afraid is the closest I've got for this story...Hope you enjoy it anyway!

Disclaimer: Title comes from Lydia's Album, "Illuminate". I own nothing~!

* * *

Hospital

* * *

"How was everything?"

Is the first question her mother asks after setting her suitcases on her bed to unpack. Gou shrugs initially, thinking back to everything that happened from when her mother first left for her trip.

Gou was assaulted by a gang, saved by Rin and the others, kidnapped, harassed again, saved again, kissed Mikoshiba, started _dating_ Mikoshiba, confronted by said attacker for a third time, spent the night at both Coach Sasabe's and Chigusa's, had a party-not-party at Haru's and spent the weekend on an island.

"Fine."

Her mother nods slowly.

"Have you heard from Rin any?" Her mother asks, sounding both curious and hesitant. Like she recognizes that that's a sour subject for Gou.

Gou nods quickly, "I saw him a couple times this past week."

"Did you?" Her mother sounds so surprised.

_Why is that surprising_, Gou's heart sinks.

Gou just nods, though. She doesn't tell her mother the instances of how or when she saw Rin (being saved from her stalker) or how most of the times it was just that—she _saw_ Rin. From a distance, training on the island, or in the corner at Haru's house where he couldn't even look at her.

Her mother yawns and remarks she'll unpack tomorrow. She's too tired tonight, she says, so Gou excuses herself.

* * *

In her room, on her bed, Gou contemplates with her phone out whether to text Rin; tell him that their mother is back_. He'll care if it's about their mother, won't he?_

_[Mother is back}_

Gou submits send, but feels guilty for it.

* * *

Mikoshiba can't sleep, playing out Nationals that will occur in two days' time in his mind, and so is wide awake when he receives Gou's text.

And reading it, he realizes it wasn't meant for him. At least, he realizes it _shouldn't_ be for him.

Mikoshiba is on his feet and out of his room instantly. He's barefoot and shirtless but he could care less about the hour of night it is. He bangs on the dormitory door loud enough to wake the suite mates, but _really _couldn't give a damn about that, either.

Rin is the one who answers, with enough energy and irritation that Mikoshiba assumes he hadn't been asleep either. From in the room, Mikoshiba can make out Nitori poking his head from the top bunk-he, on the other hand, had been asleep.

"Captain..?" Nitori mutters from behind Rin.

"What the hell do you want?" Rin spits. Mikoshiba glares at the kid before turning on his heels, nonchalantly calling over his shoulder, "Your mom is back. Gou just texted me; thought you'd like to know-"

A hand grips Mikoshiba's shoulder, spinning him back around, "Hang on! What right do you have barging here at this hour to tell me-?"

"-To tell you what Gou wanted to text you but instead texted _me_? You're right, it was pretty stupid but I thought you might want to know. I thought Gou wanted you to know but didn't want to message you so she messaged me instead, hoping that somehow you'd get the message. I did this for Gou, because she'd have wanted-"

"Shut the hell up about my sister!" Rin was fuming and Nitori from behind them was scrambling from his bunk, urging the two to calm down or keep it quieter. Doors throughout the hall were beginning to open slowly, with zombie-like students peering out at the disturbance-causing scene.

"You want to have this argument again? Because I said all I wanted to before and you didn't take a word of it to heart! You still won't call Gou? You keep telling me to stay away from her! Why? Because that's what you do? You think everyone in her life who cares about her should just leave her alone? You haven't done a damn thing to be there for Gou, so you're getting mad at me because I _have_?"

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

Mikoshiba is towering over Rin, refusing to retreat. Nitori is on Rin's back, pulling him back into their shared room but Rin is stepping up to defy Mikoshiba.

"She's your sister! Don't you care at all for her?!"

"Of course I care about my sister! Which is exactly why I'm going to protect her from creeps like you!"

"By protect, you mean scare her away so she comes running right to me?" Mikoshiba challenges.

Rin snarls and he's ready to hit Mikoshiba, except Nitori is bracing both his arms behind him.

"Why don't you worry about Nationals and leave my sister alone." He warns.

"Because unlike you, Rin, I care about the people close to me more than I care about being the best swimmer."

Rin flares up and he's out of Nitori's grip instantly. But, when he raises his fist, Nitori is quick to jump back on his hands.

"Rin! Think about what you're doing! You can't punch the captain!"

Mikoshiba shakes his head. "I wouldn't kick you off the team even if you did land a hit on me. Swimming is your life," he spits, emphasis on the word swimming as though nothing else matters to Rin. As far as Mikoshiba can tell, nothing else does.

He walks away but this time Rin doesn't yell after him.

* * *

Gou's mother makes breakfast that morning and Gou couldn't have slept better. She feels refreshed and having her mother back in the house makes much of the past week feel so far in the past and behind her that she's no longer as bothered by it all.

"I have to work late tonight, but tomorrow I'll try to get off early! Maybe we can-"

Gou winces, "Oh, mom, I was actually going to tag along with the swim team to cheer on at Nationals…"

Gou expects her mother to be disappointed (Gou feels a sinking guilt at having to reject her mother) but her mother just smiles, "That's fine then!"

Gou tries to follow up that 'Rin should be there!' but she's not even sure if he will be there.

Maybe. Haru and the others are going, so Rin might come to see them…

"Perhaps this weekend you and I could go somewhere!" Her mother offers. Gou quickly nods, "That sounds good!"

"We could see if Rin isn't too busy and wants to join?"

Gou tries not to let her mother see her disappointment.

"Mm," she nods, but she doubts it. It's suddenly time for Gou to be off so with a quick, curt 'bye' she grabs her new bag (her mother hasn't noticed it yet) and leaves.

* * *

Mikoshiba could not have slept worse. The day before Nationals and his back is sore, eyes tired. His argument with Rin put him in a bad mood (he blames himself; that confrontation would have been completely avoided had he not stormed up to the boy's room to purposely yell at him). He was just so tired of Rin's bullshit.

_Talk to your damn sister!_

That reminded Mikoshiba, who sent both a morning message to his own sister and to Gou.

Swim practice was to be light that day; no more than some stretches and beginning drills, agilities, to loosen everyone up and then they'd call it.

_[My mom is working late tonight; any chance I could come by?]_

Mikoshiba smiles to himself; seeing Gou the night before nationals would most certainly help his mood and relax him. Thrilled, he texted back [_Of course!]._

And then the day couldn't have gone by quick enough. Every class dragged on and all he wanted to do was see Gou. And when it finally was time for practice, he ran through the drills and warm up as quickly as he could, sprinting through the schedule. He wondered when Gou would show up, glancing constantly at the gym doors. Rin didn't say a word during practice. He looked exhausted; no better than Mikoshiba, so the senior assumed that the argument they'd had hadn't set well with him, either.

Nitori looked nervous, as if expecting the two to blow up at each other any minute. Mikoshiba was professional enough to leave the drama outside of practice. However, if Rin came up to him again after practice, that could be another story…

Then practice was finally over and Mikoshiba was already on his way to the locker room, calling back to everyone to quickly change and enjoy the rest of the day.

He didn't remember seeing Rin get out of the pool even.

Mikoshiba had never changed as quickly as he did then, and he was amazed at how excited he was to see Gou.

Of course the universe hates him, because just as he finished tying his shoes and preparing to leave the locker room, he was approach by two first years who thought _now_ to be the best time to bring something to their captain's attention which, _of course,_ called for his assistance that would take a bit of time.

Mikoshiba thought of texting Gou quickly to warn her he'd be just a minute, but instead settled with that he'd finish up whatever this was and be out in time to meet her before she even had to wait.

* * *

Gou stepped into the gym, cautiously. It looked to be empty, if _just_, because the floor was wet all around the pool indicating swimmers had recently been there and the lights still buzzed.

It was such a large empty space that echoed when the door closed, which caused Gou to jump. Gou gripped her bag, looking to the locker room doors. Mikoshiba was probably changing and would be out any moment, so she'd just wait—

The water broke as someone surfaced and Gou had to throw her hands over her mouth to keep from yelping, surprised to find the pool occupied after all.

More so surprising was that it was Rin.

He hadn't noticed her yet, she realized, for his back was turned from her and he just floated for a moment in the center of the pool, his head bowed, before he pushed out, swimming towards the start of his lane. Gou held her breadth, unsure whether to make herself known to her brother or remain quiet and possibly hide until he left.

Her decision was made for her when he suddenly caught sight of her, doing a double take before throwing his goggles over the edge of the pool.

"Gou?"

Gou tried to smile, but found she couldn't even greet her brother with that. She was so nervous, her chest pounding.

"R-Rin…"

"What're you doing here?" He snapped.

He sounded angry. Angry because of a bad day? Or to see her? Her heart sank.

"I'm…here to see Mikoshiba."

Gou didn't catch how Rin flinched, because he was pulling himself out of the pool at that moment, refusing to look at Gou. Water pooled over the top with him as he brought his knees up and stood, still keeping his face hidden from Gou.

"He'll be out in a minute," was all he retorted with before walking forward towards the locker room.

Gou didn't want Rin to leave, not like that. Stay! Stay and look at me! Speak to me, ask how mom is, ask how I am! Run to me like you did when I was with Kent!

Gou panicked.

_Rin_!

Gou began sprinting to cover the distance between her brother and her. She needed to talk to him-she wanted to. She wanted him to turn around, to stop avoiding her!

"Rin-!"

The water.

Gou ran too close to the pool, slipping on the water that had come up with Rin as he'd gotten up from the pool.

Gou's balance was thrown and she hit the edge of the pool. Her head stung briefly before everything went black and she thought, though it could have been a trick of her mind, that she heard Rin scream out her name just as she hit the water.

* * *

Rin only turns when he hears the hiccup of shock in his sister's voice, just in time to watch in painfully slow motion as she fell forward, sinking into the water after her head collided with the edge of the pool.

"Gou!"

And he's already mid diving after her when he catches sight of red drifting around his sister and recognizes it to be blood.

Under the water, he wraps an arm around Gou and pushes off the bottom of the pool, kicking them both to the surface.

When they break the surface, Gou's head slumps and he realizes she's unconscious though he subconsciously assumed as much already.

As Rin grips the edge of the pool, and hand from seemingly nowhere grabs at his arm, hoisting him and Gou up.

"I got you! Here, let me help-"

It's Mikoshiba.

Rin doesn't get angry or yell or tell Mikoshiba to back off. He lets Mikoshiba assist in pulling Gou over the side of the pool, watching him from outside his own body as Mikoshiba lifts Gou's head into his lap, dabbing a cut on her hairline with his shirt to soak the blood.

"She needs a towel…" Rin remarks absentmindedly, pulling himself alone from the pool and starting to walk towards the locker room; his sense of emergency is skewed and all he sees is the image of Gou falling repeatedly.

"Rin!" Mikoshiba barks, turning him by his shoulder. "You stay with Gou. I'll get the towel and some ice."

Rin can't even argue, or thank him, because Mikoshiba is gone before Rin can grasp that he even left.

At now Rin is standing over Gou's unconscious figure, confused at how this happened and uncertain of what to do.

* * *

He falls to his knees, helpless, and pulls Gou slowly into his lap. He keeps rubbing his thumb over her cut, wiping away blood as it surfaces and watching water droplets form his own hair fall upon Gou's cheek.

She starts to stir and Rin suddenly wakes up with activity, gripping Gou's shoulders.

"Gou? Gou, are you alright?!"

"Rin..?"

Gou blinks her eyes open quickly, confused as to why she's soaked and Rin is to and then she remembers but before the fall she remembers that she doesn't want Rin to leave and she's suddenly sitting up and clinging to Rin's arms as much as he is hers.

"Rin! Rin, please don't go, I-I want to talk to you! Rin, I-I'm so sorry-"

Rin ignores her and throws his arms around her, burrowing her face into his shoulder in the embrace.

"Gou, I'm sorry."

Gou tenses briefly before relaxing and Rin himself sighs with relief until Gou starts shaking and hiccupping.

Is she crying?

"Gou..?"

He pulls apart and sure enough tears or trickling down her cheeks and mixing with the water that he hasn't dried off her yet because _where is Mikoshiba and that towel?_

"Rin…" Gou is trying to say more but she just keeps crying and Rin has to wipe at her wound again because it's still bleeding and he's just relieved she's awake and okay but he wishes she'd stop crying.

"Gou, quit crying…" he mumbles but he's smiling and she starts laughing, trying to wipe her tears away before they fall but it's not very effective and she gives up, returning her hands to Rin's arms as if to anchor him from trying to walk away.

He wasn't going to, not now.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I-I stopped messaging you a-and that I left that day without talking to you. And I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you or thank you the day you saved me from Kent-"

"_Kent_..?"

The white-haired boy? She knew his name?

"I'm sorry I didn't explain things that day in the café, or that I still didn't call you. Or this weekend, when I didn't say a word to you on the island-"

Rin's heard enough and shuts his sister up by pushing her head back down towards his chest, once again embracing her.

"Shut up, Gou," he shakes his head. "I'm sorry." She his grip tightens and he folds himself over Gou, creating a cocoon around her and trembling.

"I'm sorry I never messaged you back, or called you. I'm sorry I never was online."

Gou doesn't understand that, wondering why Rin was apologizing about being on the computer, until she remembers those nights in middle school, falling asleep at a keyboard. Her fingers tighten on Rin's arm.

"I couldn't…I didn't know what to say that night," he admits, and she doesn't ask him which night he means because he continues immediately, "You were sitting there, trying to sleep, and I…I didn't know what to say. How to comfort you. So I left, because I thought that's what you needed. Then I kept doing it; I kept giving you space, I didn't realize that what you needed was _not_ space."

Gou shakes her head, it wasn't his fault, but he doesn't let her interject.

"And…and then Mikoshiba was there for you. He's right, he was in place of your brother. You could go to him, you could talk to him."

Gou blushes; she wants to tell her brother that's not it but he's still not letting her speak.

"I saw you both."

Gou tenses, wondering if he means the night they first kissed, or the tent-

"At the pool, in the morning practice on the island. I knew then…I was so angry, because _he_ was there for you at your lowest, but also…he was there for you at your happiest. And I just…haven't been there for you. At all."

"Rin…"

Rin is shaking and Gou isn't sure if it's tears or anger. She hopes it's neither. _Don't be upset, Rin!_

"Rin…Mikoshiba was there for me, and I appreciated that. But, you could have been there, too. He didn't, _hasn't_, replaced you." She sniffles, trying to lift Rin's chin up to look at her. "I still need my big brother!"

To her relief, he isn't crying but he looks almost to be. Except he smiles when she does and that's a load off her chest. Rin is smiling at her!

His thumb is under her eye, catching another tear before he lifts it to push back her hair, to scrub at that damn cut again. He doesn't know what to do with hands so they just keep brushing across her face, her temple, her forehead.

"You…have got to stay a _day_ out of trouble."

Gou laughs, "This hasn't been a good past week for me." She scrunches her nose, blushing, "Well…some of it."

Rin frowns.

"Rin…d-don't get mad or anything, but…Mikoshiba and I…"

* * *

Mikoshiba watches the pair from behind the divider, ice pack and towel in hand. He wants to go to them, but knows they need this. Rin needs to confront Gou, just like Gou needed to confront him. He can't see Rin's expression but when Gou finally looks up she's smiling and Rin is holding her in an embrace and that's a good sign, right?

He waits for the right moment to 'appear', because Gou is still bleeding and they're both still soaking wet, and when he thinks that moment is now he steps out one foot from behind the wall—

"-**What**?! _Dating_?!"

-and retrieves it just as quickly.

Nope. They definitely need more time to themselves, Mikoshiba decides, retreating all the way back into the locker room.

* * *

**A/N: **One more chapter after this~! This chapter in relation to the rest of the story is supposed to be very important; it's where Gou and Rin finally restore their relationship~ I kinda dropped the ball, though, I think...It's a slow chapter that I prlly should have revised a little more :/

Mikoshiba and Rin's confrontation though I liked~ Maybe I just like writing those two arguing~ :/ Sorry for the OOCness of this entire chapter~!

The bit of Gou falling unconscious was some dramatic bit I'd thought up originally for another story; Back in developing this one, I had an idea for two stories (Have I mentioned this yet..?) One being centric of SeiGou, covering mostly the Kent-drama, and a second that was Gou and Rin fluff, which included this drama of Gou slipping unconscious; I ended up combining the two stories, but I think in this one it's just one too much whumpage for poor Gou~ Sorry! Though at least their relationship is on the mends...Except, I think how I handled it mayb have been anticlimactic...All this build up, and then...

Rin saw Gou and Seijuro kiss, but didn't automatically assume they were dating and acts surprised when Gou confirms as much? Maybe hopeful wishing on his part...I like to think (Well, I wrote it so I guess it's fact as far as this story is concerned) Mikoshiba purposely left Rin with Gou. Yeah, he's worried for her safety and wants to be by her side, but recognizes that if she wakes up, she needs to wake up in the hands of Rin; their relationship needs that moment more than his and hers does...is what I thought he'd think :p anyway...

Ah, sorry-anyway, last chapter I'll post sometime over this Thanksgiving Break! Thanks to everyone following or simply reading this story! Hope you enjoyed most or any of it! Thank you!


	12. All I See

Oh gosh, sorry! I meant to post this last chapter last week, and then my final project just...no excuses, I'm sorry!

Here's the, I personally think anticlimactic, finale to this story~! I hope you enjoy it, sorry for the wait~!

Disclaimer: I own nothing! The title is from Lydia's album "Illuminate" and is a beautiful piece~ fitting for the last chapter~

* * *

All I See

* * *

"This pool is huge!" Nagisa beams.

They're on the second deck of bleachers and there's still a third above them. It's a dome of a pool gym and Even with their combined group of Samezuka and Iwatobi swimmers, they still can't fill a single row in the stands and remain amongst the smallest school groups present.

"I don't envy Mikoshiba right now," Makoto mused, watching swimmers warm up below them. None looked an inch under 6 ft. and all looked uniform with swim caps and black suits.

"I hope Mikoshiba does alright…" Hana muttered, eyeing the competition.

"Captain Mikoshiba will be fine!" Nitori cheered.

"Where is Mikoshiba..?" Haru asked.

"Hm? Probably checking in for his event. It's soon isn't it?" Rei answered.

"There's only one heat, just like at Regionals. This meet will be quick…"

"Oh, he better win!"

"Go Mikoshiba!"

"Not yet, Nagisa! He isn't even racing right now!"

Gou stood aside from everyone gathered, searching for Mikoshiba somewhere below. She bit at her lip, wondering if he really could win against all these athletes, all the best within the nation…

"Gou."

Gou whipped around, her brother standing behind her but pointing to a corner of the pool.

Gou's eyes followed his finger, settling on the unmistakable figure of Seijuro Mikoshiba.

"You better go see him before his race; tell him we all said good luck."

Gou smiled at her brother, nodding once before turning back to the stairs and hurrying down them.

"Eh? Where's Gou going?"

"Probably the bathroom. Oi, Rin, have you found Mikoshiba yet?"

"Nope."

* * *

Mikoshiba is stretching, trying to focus on the music through his head phones. He's nervous. He kept calm the entire way here, but the moment he saw the pool and everyone warming up around it, his stomach twisted itself into a knot. He could throw up, he tells himself. He's that nervous and his muscles are twitching to race now, get it over with. He snaps his swim cap on and off, trying to get all his hair underneath it perfectly. And his goggles don't feel tight enough, or are too tight, or are fogging up or-

"Seijuro!"

Gou.

The nerves melt away and Mikoshiba forgets completely about the race he's on deck for.

He turns around and sure enough she's standing there, dressed in her Iwatobi manager shirt and her brother's jacket to show her support for Samezuka and for Mikoshiba.

"Good luck, Seijuro!" She smiles, tilting her head and yep_, she's too cute_.

Seijuro takes two steps and then he's standing directly in front of Gou and he doesn't wait for her permission or for her to react. He just takes her in his hands and leans in, kissing her and that's the breadth he wants to hold while he swims; that's all the good luck he needs and that's what he's swimming for.

When he does finally let her go, not willingly because he could have held that kiss for days, Gou is pretending to glare at him but her smile is giving her away. The whole gym is watching them and no one's eyes are on them.

"I really, _really_ like you." Mikoshiba blurts.

Gou chuckles, "Do good on your race."

"You didn't say whether you really, _really_ like me back?!" Mikoshiba's shoulders sink.

"Swim your best, then I'll tell you!"

Mikoshiba is about to retort that she should tell him now, but before he can, he's interrupted-

"_Kou_?"

* * *

"Ah! I found Mikoshiba!" Nagisa points out.

Rin shrugs. He'd bought the two as much time as he could.

"Eh? Gou is with him?!"

"So _that's_ where she went!"

Rin's eyes are on the other swimmers, stretching and lining up. They look like tough competition. Mikoshiba's in the third lane, which isn't the best time placement lane but neither is it the worst.

"Ah! Isn't that..?"

Rin jerks at Hana's outcry, looking suddenly back to Mikoshiba and Gou as the others are.

_No way…_

* * *

"Kent."

Mikoshiba is aware that Gou ended on better terms with the boy, but still can't help stepping defensively between Gou and him. He knows Rin would have his head if he didn't do something.

Gou brings her hand up to Mikoshiba's elbow, motioning him to stand down. He doesn't trust Kent, but he steps aside enough for her to face him.

Kent looks no different than when Gou last saw him. Pale hair and eyes; that smile.

"Mikoshiba, was it?" Kent acknowledges. Seijuro nods with a grimace on his face. He glances up into the stands, wondering if Rin can see them.

"Kou…I thought I might see you here. I was hoping-"

Mikoshiba steps up, about ready to yell at this kid to shove off but Gou has beat him too it, stepping forward.

"Kent." She cuts Kent off. Kent flinches, which Mikoshiba finds odd. Especially because he continues to smile.

And Mikoshiba waits for Gou to break into a warning, to tell Kent off a second time.

Instead, she holds out her hand.

"Good luck."

Mikoshiba never heard everything that Gou said to Kent. He doesn't know what all passed between them and how Gou truly forgave him. All he knows is she promised he'd never bother her again and he had to believe her. But something else, some understanding, passed just then between the two because whatever else Kent was going to say was lost. He took Gou's hand, shook and, and turned to Mikoshiba.

"Looks like we'll be racing each other."

"Is that so?" Mikoshiba smirked. He'd suspected as much all along; the universe had a way of being ironic like that.

"Good luck to you, too, then."

It was odd seeing this bastard being polite. Maybe he really wanted to make a good impression on Gou. It was a little late for it, but Mikoshiba preferred this side of the bastard to the other one.

* * *

"Go, Mikoshiba!"

"C'mon, Captain!"

"Sei-Ju-Ro! Miko-Shi-Ba!"

Gou is cheering and hollering right beside Hana and the others. Rin isn't one to yell too much, but he's standing like the rest and Gou insists he helps her hold up the poster she and Hana decorated; he and Rei are the tallest, and can hold it the highest.

The swimmers get set and Gou is frantically pointing out Mikoshiba in the third lane. Rin's eyes travel to the fourth lane.

Kent.

So, the bastard's fast, swiping the best time lane. Rin glances at Gou, to see if she's any bit bothered. He saw her talk to Kent. He wants to ask her what they said.

The stands grow quiet because the gun is raised and the swimmers are all set, ready to dive. Nagisa is trembling with anticipation and everyone else is on their feet.

Coach Sasabe is biting his nails, until Miss Amakata lifts a hand and lowers his arm. It's a nasty habit, she mutters to him.

The gun goes off.

The starts are simultaneous; no one is off by a second and it's a matter of who stays under water the longest.

Gou is leaning against the railing of the bleachers, nearly falling over. Everyone's eyes are on Mikoshiba, who had a good start but should have an even better turnaround. Kent is right on his heels, gaining a little only to lose it only to regain distance. It's too close to make a call on the first down.

"Come on, Mikoshiba…" Rin mutters. _If he loses to that bastard…_

Gou is holding in her cheers now, watching the race nervously. Just at the turn around, she finally leans forward and yells with all her might, "_**Go, Mikoshiba**_!"

* * *

"Third at nationals?! That's amazing!"

Mikoshiba laughs, holding his medal proudly and shrugging at it, as if third is alright.

Gou is beside him, walking in step as the others bounce around eyeing the bronze.

"You're third in the _nation_!" Sasabe congratulates proudly.

"That's quite the high note to end a high school career on," Miss Amakata agrees.

Mikoshiba rubs at the back of his neck, thanking the two adults.

"Good job, Captain," Rin offers. It's a bit odd complimenting his captain, but he thinks he deserved it. Mikoshiba glances at Rin and there's something else unspoken between them that only they two understand and Mikoshiba nods once in acknowledgment at it.

_Good job in beating Kent._

Fourth. The icing on the cake is that Kent finished just shy of a medal. While Rin feels for him as a swimmer, personal reasons obviously lean him biasedly towards feeling slightly victorious.

"We should celebrate! With pizza!" Nagisa yells above everyone else's chatter.

"I'm fine with that!" Sasabe agrees.

"I can grill, too."

"We know, Haru. _Mackerel_."

"Gou! Sit by me!"

"_Alright_, alright, Hana!"

* * *

When they're all full on pizza and mackerel and remember that it's the middle of a school week and have classes tomorrow, begrudgingly, the gang goes their separate way from Haru's house (the default gathering spot).

Mikoshiba offers to walk Gou home, much to her surprise in that Rin seems fine with this (Or pretends to not know. Nitori is doing a good job calling his attention away so Gou and Mikoshiba can slip out). When they're almost to her house, Mikoshiba stops walking and looks down at his medal in hand.

Gou stops a few steps ahead.

"What's wrong?"

"Third is good, right?"

"Third is great!" She laughs, stepping back to grip his arm, tugging him forward. "Don't worry about just getting third! That's really good, now let's go home-"

"But, would you say I swam my _best_ out there?"

Gou nods, struggling to pull Mikoshiba who has planted his feet against the pavement.

"I think it was the best I've ever seen you swim-"

"So I swam my best?"

"Yes!"

"Then tell me you really, _really_ like me."

Gou sighs, smirking, "I really, real-"

Mikoshiba cuts her off with a kiss that she should have seen coming. When he breaks apart, his bottom lip still hovers over her top lip so he whispers into her skin, "Sorry. Tell me again."

She's smiling, "I really-"

He cuts her off with another kiss, this time bringing his hands up to her face and running them through her hair, forgetting completely about his medal and letting it drop to hang around his neck. Her own arms are at his collar until she feels the buzzing alert of her phone. She breaks apart, reaching into her bag expecting it to be her mother messaging, asking where she's at.

When she sees the caller ID, her grin stretches from ear to ear, and Mikoshiba blushes because _it's unfair how cute she is when she smiles!_

"Who is it?"

_[Mom called me. Said she wants to try to hang out, the three of us this weekend. Does all day Saturday work for you?]_

* * *

**A/N: **I knew I wanted the last line of this story to be a text from Rin-that's the full circle for me for this chapter. (Yes, he texted her once earlier but we overlook that text considering Gou didn't receive it in time and whatnot~) I also knew Kent had to be in the last chapter, but we all saw that coming prlly yes~?

This chapter feels too short for me, and kinda weak. I knew it'd take place at Nationals, but for the life of me I couldn't beef it up anymore...I wish I'd found some way to incorporate one last scene from the POV of Rei or Chigusa, since they'd had earlier scenes throughout, but couldn't really because, again, I couldn't beef this chapter up enough and I needed the focus mostly on the wrappnig up of conflicts and conclusions between the main three-Gou, Mikoshiba and Rin~

Anyway, THANK YOU to eeryone who alerted, favorited, reviewed or READ this story! I'm glad so many of you followed it and I hope you enjoyed it!

(I'm actually finishing a multi-fic~! My first ever XD)

See you!


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